Healthy Cooking during the Holidays

So, you’re the main cook for Thanksgiving or Christmas and want to serve healthy foods without cutting the traditional foods from the menu? I have some options for you!!! How can you cut calories without cutting flavor?

1. Use frozen or fresh vegetables instead of canned (if you want to use canned vegetables, use the “no salt added” kind). Consider salads as an appetizer with low-calorie dressing.
2. Use butter spray instead of butter or margarine when preparing cooked vegetables. For example, “I Can’t Believe it’s not Butter” spray and “Parkay” spray are excellent substitutes. You’ll save calories and still get that yummy butter flavor!
3. Use herbs and spices to flavor the vegetables instead of a heaping scoop of butter.
4. Keep the skins on the potatoes.Use sweet potatoes if possible.
5. Add vegetables to your stuffing.
6. Use whole wheat bread for your stuffing instead of white bread.
7. Use whole wheat dinner rolls instead of white dinner rolls.
8. Use egg substitute or 2 egg whites (per 1 egg) when the recipe calls for eggs.
9. Use fat–free or low-fat items instead of full fat items (for example, fat free evaporated milk for fudge instead of regular).
10. Don’t stuff the turkey with the stuffing (the stuffing will absorb all of the fat and it places your guests at greater risk of food-borne illness if the stuffing doesn’t reach 165 F).
11. Use canned pineapples in light syrup instead of heavy syrup if you are making glazed ham.
12. Use tub margarine when possible when a recipe calls for butter or oleo.
13. Have fresh fruits and vegetables as hors d’oeuvres so your guests can snack on healthy foods while the main meal is cooking. They’ll thank you later.

These are just a few suggestions on how to make your holiday meal healthier. Please let me know if you have other tidbits that have worked for you, your family, or your friends on how to cook healthfully during the holidays! Thanks and happy cooking!

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