How to enjoy the holidays without ruining your waistline
2:42 p.m. Thursday, November 8, 2007
Many of our favorite holiday foods have a lot of hidden fats in them.
Gravy made with turkey drippings is especially rich in fat. Mashed potatoes have have about 200 calories in a 1/2 of cup. And a 1/2 cup of stuffing -- a Thanksgiving staple -- has about 400 calories and 18 grams of fat.
"A better alternative would be doing just the steamed veggies," said Amber Groeling, health educator at the Shawnee County Health Agency.
For hors d'oeuvres stick to the vegetable and fruit trays. Those, and even shrimp cocktail, are healthier alternatives to fried appetizers.
Many heavier snacks have over 100 calories, so three or four of those could add up to a whole meal's worth of calories, Groeling said.
Fat equals flavor in a lot of recipes.
Several methods exist to make foods healthier and keep the pizazz. Use low-fat options for sour cream, for example. To make those mashed potatoes healthier, but still tasty, cut back on the butter content and add chicken broth.
Groeling also encourages using liquid oils, like extra virgin olive oil, instead of solid margarine or butter.
When asked how people can cut the fat, but still eat desserts, like pumpkin pie, Groeling said to cut back on portion size.
"If you want to cut the calories further, you can not eat the crust 'cause that's where most of the fat is found," she said.
Many coffee shops are pushing specialty coffees during the holidays. Now or anytime, those can be a big no-no, she said.
"A lot of the large, flavored lattes with the whipped cream have anywhere from 500 to 800 calories."
So, if you're watching your waistline, select the smallest cup and ask for the barista to use skim milk. Skip the whipped cream, and the calorie count comes down to about 200.
A healthier alternative would be apple cider.
The good news for those who want to follow the tradition of chowing down on the holidays:
"One day of overeating is not going to make or break a diet," she said. "It's when it's two months of overeating that can lead to the weight gain."
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