Holiday Treats without the Guilt to Eat!
By Sara Mion
The holidays mean one thing in my family: FOOD. Thanksgiving kicks off the month long food coma with the traditional roasted turkey and sides including gravy, stuffing, mash potatoes, green bean casserole, Uncle John’s Jell-O mold, candied sweet potatoes, cranberries and the list goes on and on when I look around the table.
Holiday Treats without the Guilt to Eat!
By Sara Mion
The holidays mean one thing in my family: FOOD. Thanksgiving kicks off the month long food coma with the traditional roasted turkey and sides including gravy, stuffing, mash potatoes, green bean casserole, Uncle John’s Jell-O mold, candied sweet potatoes, cranberries and the list goes on and on when I look around the table.
It almost always looks so overwhelmingly delicious that I must try it all until panic sets in and I realize that I haven’t even hit the dessert table yet! My notorious sweet tooth aches as I feast my eyes upon my mother’s famous pumpkin pies, and then to the apple pies, pecan pie, and chocolate chip cookies. I’m already STUFFED.
But wait! I wouldn’t want to miss a slice of my favorite great aunt Caroline’s cheesecake! Not only does this cheesecake contain 12 sticks of butter and 12 containers of Philadelphia cream cheese, it contains all the fat needed to gain those few extra holiday pounds. So what can a health conscious person, like myself, do when you want to indulge in all the treats without the guilt? Follow:
My top 5 tips from Women’s Health Magazine and dietician Keri Glassman:
1. Drink plenty of water! - This helps fill your stomach before you eat which make you feel full faster to help eliminate overindulging.
2. Go skinless on the turkey and choose white meat over the dark – this helps save you from eating extra fat and cholesterol.
3. Watch your portion size – a smaller portion allows you to sample a little bit of everything. Moderation is key!
4. Substitute- if you are cooking the meals swap what the recipes calls for with a healthier option – for example instead of using a 1 whole egg try 2 egg whites. For more click: Recipe Substitutions Tips.
5. Stick with Pumpkin Pie for dessert (I’ll miss you cheesecake) – it has half the fat and sugar that other traditional desserts contain.
To learn how to knock off more calories from your favorite holiday sides and treats watch dietician Keri Glassman, a contributing editor for Women's Health magazine, explain the dos and don’ts of Thanksgiving eating on The Early Show. And if you have a sweet tooth like me but don’t love the pumpkin pie try Healthy Dessert Options For the Holidays. Now you can stress about those final exams when you get back to school rather than how you are ever going to lose those 10 thanksgiving lbs?
