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written by Christine Zellers, MPP and Anneliese Kuemmerle, MS, RD.
With the holiday season fast approaching, you may be wondering how to keep your health goals on track as invites to holiday parties and plates of baked goods in the lunchroom start rolling in. We are here with some easy recipe swaps and practical tips to help you stay healthy this holiday season.
Holidays are a special time to connect with family and loved ones. Many of us have special recipes for holiday dishes that are sentimental. They are talking points for special memories and great stories. Making them as a family might be how we get little ones involved in the kitchen. They bring fond memories of those who are no longer with us to celebrate. Food is love, after all. If you have special recipes like this in your family, please make, share, and enjoy them. It is ok to enjoy these foods a couple times a year, even if they aren’t the healthiest. Special foods that bring joy and connect us to our traditions, memories, and loved ones have a place on every table. Being healthy is not about being perfect, it’s about balance.
That said, it isn’t the best idea to break out grandma’s cookbook and make every unhealthy recipe in the name of nostalgia. Try these easy swaps to make holiday meals healthier. Add low-sodium vegetable broth to mashed potatoes for flavor and cut back on butter, cream, and salt. Adding fresh herbs like chives is another easy way to add flavor to mashed potatoes. Fresh or dried rosemary, sage, and thyme are delicious additions to roasted vegetables, soups, and side dishes. Herbs are an easy swap for the salt shaker. This is helpful since many Americans get too much salt each day. One tablespoon of fresh herbs equals one teaspoon of dried crumbled herbs, or ¼ to ½ teaspoon of ground dried herbs. To help cut back on sugar, try reducing sugar in a recipe by 25 percent. If your recipe calls for one cup of sugar, try making it with ¾ cup instead.
Many of our favorite holiday foods are high in fat. Simple swaps can help you cut back. Plant-based oils like avocado, olive, or canola oil are heart-healthier alternatives to butter. Using a cooking spray when sautéing can help cut back on the overall amount of fat you add to your food. Choosing low-fat or fat-free dairy products is another strategy. Low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt can be used to make dips instead of sour cream. Bonus points if you have some raw veggie options and whole-grain crackers for dipping. If you bake quick breads like pumpkin or banana bread, try substituting the oil for applesauce. Most of the time, 1:1 substitutions work just fine. If your recipe calls for ½ cup oil, try ½ cup of applesauce.
And, finally, don’t forget about what you can ADDto your holiday plans to make them healthier. If you are planning on attending an evening party, add more fruit and vegetables to breakfast and lunch. Don’t skip meals to save calories! This just makes you more likely to overeat later. Add fresh fruit or heart-healthy nuts to appetizer platters. Add a new side (or two!) of roasted vegetables with your holiday spread. JerseyFresh has a long list of locally grown in-season fruits and vegetables for November. Apples, arugula, Swiss chard, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots, and cranberries are just a few. Look for the JerseyFresh sign in the produce department and pick a new fall favorite. We hope you have a happy, healthy holiday season.
Healthy Pumpkin Pie Dip
Recipe from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
6 ounces low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
⅓ cup, reduced-fat Greek yogurt
15 ounces (1 can) roasted pumpkin, no sugar added
2½ teaspoons cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon allspice, ground
1 teaspoon cloves, ground
⅛ teaspoon, nutmeg, ground
3 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Directions
Before you begin: Wash your hands.
- In a food processor, add cream cheese and Greek yogurt and blend until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients to the food processor and blend until smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving with sliced fruit or whole-grain pretzels.