“Guilt Free” Holiday Food Classics

Written by Elements

women's fitness

Love it or leave it, the holiday feasting season is fast approaching. With it comes merry reunions, boisterous celebrations…and the inevitable miles of dinner tables bursting with decadent foods. Holidays wouldn’t be the holidays without a feast for the senses and the taste buds, but elements living shows you how you can have a delightful holiday meal and still keep your diet intact.

The Good, the Bad, the….Actually Healthy?

There’s no need to declare all-out war on your holiday favorites. In fact, many of them are surprisingly nutritious!

•   Green beans, brussel sprouts, and broccoli
Packed with vitamins and nutrients and typically low in calories, how can a veggie not be good for you? When it’s covered in butter or swimming in cheese…as so many holiday sides usually are. Remedy this situation by steaming or lightly sautéing vegetables in virgin olive oil, and seasoning with lemon juice and herbs for plenty of flavor and little fat.

•   Sweet potatoes
These delicious starchy tubers are high in complex carbs, fiber, potassium, and Vitamin C, and rich in flavor. Try them baked to harvest all of the healthy benefits of this holiday staple.

•   Turkey
Lean slices of white-meat turkey pack a powerful protein punch and have less fat than most other meat dishes. Keep portions moderate, remove the skin and resist the urge to drown them in gravy and you’ve got a healthy, mouthwatering entrée.

•   Cranberry sauce
Cranberries have high levels of antioxidants, which help defend the body against cellular damage. Make a sauce using fresh or defrosted frozen berries instead of canned for a healthier treat, and look for recipes that use artificial sweetener, a small amount of sugar, or orange juice as a sweet substitute.

Healthy Substitutions

Substitutions don’t just happen in football games. There are plenty of healthy substitutions you can make to your holiday dinner that are simple, fast and taste just as good as the original.

•   Offer whole-wheat or whole-grain rolls instead of flour-based, processed breads.

•   Create a wild rice stuffing instead of the traditional bread-based stuffing for your holiday turkey.

•   Toss veggies with light, vinaigrette-based marinades, not butter or thick sauces.

•   If you’re looking for appetizers, offer veggies and hummus instead of potato chips and high-fat dips.

•   Instead of typical high-calorie alcoholic drinks like eggnog (one cup equals 360 calories alone!) or hot buttered rum, try sparkling apple cider.

Modern Twists on Time-Honored Classics

Sitting down with friends and family to a traditional holiday meal is always a cherished memory, but there’s nothing to stop you from putting a new, healthy spin on some classic dishes the next time you get together.

•   For mashed potatoes that are bursting with flavor but lower in calories, try using low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth instead of the usual butter and milk to mash.

•   Thanks to the wonders of technology, fresh, delicious fruit is available even in the coldest of months. Why not offer your guests a delightful, colorful platter of fruit bites in lieu of the never-ending parade of sugary pies and cookies for dessert?

•   If the holidays just wouldn’t be the holidays without pie, pumpkin pie is a delicious option. Pumpkins are high in alpha and beta carotene, and have a natural sweetness that usually requires very little extra sugar when cooking (plus, pumpkin seeds contain protein, magnesium and other vitamins, making them a perfect appetizer when roasted!).

•   Gravy can be a dieter’s dream…and worst nightmare. Reduce the fat significantly by regularly skimming fat as you prepare it (Better yet: invest in a gravy separator to make it a breeze!).

•   Here’s a turkey tip from our Fitness Advisory Board members, The Nutrition Twins: Place a thin layer of celery leaves, herbs and onion slices between the skin and the breast meat of the turkey before roasting. This will add rich flavor to the meat and absorb much of the fat from the skin. Also, baste with defatted chicken or turkey stock instead of butter -- it will thicken with cornstarch and seasoning for a healthier gravy.