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The Na
ughty List of Holiday Foods
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'Tis the season of temptation. Fortunately, there are ways to
avoid the holiday food trap. Explore which foods are naughty and nice.
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Holiday Food
Traps
'Tis the season of tasty
foods. The average person puts on a pound during the holidays. And if you're on
a special diet because you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure,
holiday dishes can be especially tricky. But you can enjoy yourself and make good
choices, if you know which items are naughty and nice.
Naughty: Turkey Skin
The skin of
turkey and chicken is loaded with saturated fat. Per gram, all fats are higher
in calories than protein or carbs, and bad fats raise cholesterol. Dark meat
has more fat per bite than white meat.
Nice:Serve
yourself turkey breast or other white meat without the skin.
Naughty: Stuffing
Stuffing is
typically loaded with butter and high-fat meats, such as sausage. A single
scoop may have up to 550 calories.
Nice: Replace
butter with low-sodium chicken broth, and skip pork sausage in favor of a
low-fat chicken, oyster, or fruit alternative. Or try making wild rice stuffing
instead.
Naughty: Buttery Mashed Potatoes
Usually, a lot
of milk, butter, and salt go into this classic comfort food. A cup of homemade
mashed potatoes made with whole milk and butter can have 237 calories.
Nice: Mash
the potatoes with low-fat milk or low sodium, fat-free chicken stock and skip
the butter, or salt.
Naughty: Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet potatoes
are a great choice. They've got vitamins A and C, plus a dose of calcium and
potassium. But if they're in a casserole made with marshmallows, butter, and
lots of sugar, that offsets their benefits.
Nice: Leave
out the butter, cut the sugar in half, and lightly top with mini marshmallows.
This will shave calories and fat, not taste.
Naughty: Pecan Pie
Although pecans
are packed with healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, pecan pie is a minefield
of sugar and calories. A typical slice of pecan pie has more than 500 calories.
That's because it's usually made with oodles of corn syrup, butter, and sugar.
Nice: Nibble
on a bowl of mixed nuts instead. If you can't resist the pie, choose pumpkin or
opt for a very small slice and don't eat the crust.
Naughty: Fancy Finger Foods
Be careful at
your job's holiday party; canapes and other fancy appetizers are often full of
fat. Each one is tiny, but the calories add up quickly when there is an endless
parade of hors d'oeuvres.
Nice: Chilled
shrimp, veggies, and fresh fruits are nutritious low-calorie appetizers.
Naughty: Pigs-in-a-Blanket
Another
steer-clear appetizer, each bite-sized piggy has 6 grams of fat, lots of
sodium, and little to offer in the way of nutrition.
Nice: Fruit-in-a-blanket
is a great alternative. Wrap figs or fuyu persimmon wedges with a thin strip of
prosciutto, and then bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Naughty: Potato Pancakes
Potato pancakes
or latkes are a favorite during Hanukkah. But a single
medium-sized latke can have more than 250 calories. Traditionally fried in oil,
they are dripping with fat. What's more, the usual topping is sour cream.
Nice: If
you're doing the cooking, use a small amount of vegetable oil or, better yet,
cooking spray. If you're doing the eating, limit yourself to a couple of latkes
with unsweetened applesauce on top.
Naughty: Caramel Popcorn
Large tins of
flavored popcorn are a popular holiday gift. Although popcorn itself is a
whole-grain snack, slathering on sugary caramel or other sweet syrups is a
recipe for weight gain.
Nice: Stick
to plain popcorn -- the crunch is just as satisfying without the extra
calories.
Naughty: Egg Nog
All that
alcohol, heavy cream, eggs, and sugar adds up. A single cup of egg nog contains
about 340 calories and 19 grams of fat.
Nice: Make
low-calorie egg nog with skim milk and egg substitutes, and go easy on the sweetener.
Naughty: Mixed Drinks
Cocktails can
be surprisingly high in calories. One serving of a white Russian made with
light cream has about 350 calories.
Nice: Mix
up a wine spritzer by adding a splash of wine and sparkling water to
pomegranate or cranberry juice. This not only shaves calories, but also counts
toward your fruit servings for the day.
Naughty: Cakes & Cookies
You may find
that you crave carbs more during fall and winter. You don't want to give in by
reaching for too many sweets, but you don't have to ignore the cravings either.
Carbs taste good and make you feel good triggering the release of serotonin, a
brain chemical that boosts mood.
Nice: The
solution is to control portions or snack on complex carbs, such as whole-grain
cereal or crackers.
Naughty: Milk Chocolates
Milk chocolates
are high in fat and low in the nutrients found in purer forms of dark
chocolate. Caramel or cream-filled chocolates don't do anything for your
health, either.
Nice: Solid
dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa is best, but only in small amounts.
Choose dark chocolate with heart-healthy nuts.
Avoid Naughty Holiday
Foods
Knowing which foods are
naughty is a good start. Take it a step further by using these tips:
·
Talk to people. You'll
slow down your eating pace.
·
At parties, sit or stand
far from the buffet table.
·
Excuse yourself from the
dinner table once you've had enough to eat.
·
Chew sugar-free gum or
suck on sugar-free candy to curb your desire to nibble.
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Reviewed by Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD on Thursday, May 19, 2016
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Holiday Foods
'Naughty List' in Pictures
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Sources: 
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This tool does not
provide medical advice
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