Eight cooking tricks to make mouthwatering healthy holiday dishes. (By Rhonda Hilario-Caguiat for Lifetimetv.com)
December 16, 2004 (Press Release) --
Feasting with family and friends warms the heart--but it can wreak havoc on your healthy eating habits. "Part of the holidays is enjoying the food that is part of your tradition. Luckily, there are things you can do to control fat and calories, and not change all of the other good parts!" says Althea Zanecosky, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and professor of sports and nutrition at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Want to get creative planning the menu for your next holiday party? We'll show you some savory secrets to save calories!
Slash that fat. Cutting back or eliminating the butter, oil or margarine you use dramatically cuts the calories in holiday meals. And you don't have to sacrifice flavor: Try sauteing vegetables in wine or broth. Add horseradish, chives or roasted garlic to potatoes instead of butter, suggests Cindy Moore, director of nutrition therapy at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. And skim off the fat when making gravy from meat drippings, (or buy a special gravy boat that allows the fat to rise to the top and leaves just the meat juices).
Calorie packer: Baked potato with 2 pats butter and 2 T. sour cream = 352
Calorie saver: Baked potato with 1 pat butter and roasted garlic = 266
Calories saved: 86
Cut the cream. Switch to lower-fat versions of milk, yogurt, cream cheese and sour cream. "Substitute a cup of mayonnaise with half a cup of light mayo, half a cup of plain yogurt and put in a little mustard, vinegar or mustard seed," says Susan Mitchell, Ph.D, consultant to the Produce for Better Health Foundation. And skip prepared dips for a mix of low-fat yogurt and fat-free sour cream with a touch of seasoning, says Moore.
Calorie packer: 1 cup mayonnaise = 1,440 calories Calorie saver: 1/4 cup light mayonnaise and 1/2 cup plain yogurt = 429 calories
Total calories saved: 1,011
Pick your protein wisely. Roast meats are your best bet. Most of the calories in turkey, chicken or duck are in the skin; remove that and you've got a lean (and delicious) protein. Also keep an eye out for high fat, salty meats such as bacon or sausage that can be trimmed from recipes. And try soy-based products when recipes call for ground meat. "Add soy to a dish and heating it up gives texture and flavor without as many calories," says Moore.
Calorie packer: 5 oz. roast lean ham = 320
Calorie saver: 5 oz. roasted white meat turkey = 145
Calories saved: 175 calories
continue....
Slash that fat. Cutting back or eliminating the butter, oil or margarine you use dramatically cuts the calories in holiday meals. And you don't have to sacrifice flavor: Try sauteing vegetables in wine or broth. Add horseradish, chives or roasted garlic to potatoes instead of butter, suggests Cindy Moore, director of nutrition therapy at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. And skim off the fat when making gravy from meat drippings, (or buy a special gravy boat that allows the fat to rise to the top and leaves just the meat juices).
Calorie packer: Baked potato with 2 pats butter and 2 T. sour cream = 352
Calorie saver: Baked potato with 1 pat butter and roasted garlic = 266
Calories saved: 86
Cut the cream. Switch to lower-fat versions of milk, yogurt, cream cheese and sour cream. "Substitute a cup of mayonnaise with half a cup of light mayo, half a cup of plain yogurt and put in a little mustard, vinegar or mustard seed," says Susan Mitchell, Ph.D, consultant to the Produce for Better Health Foundation. And skip prepared dips for a mix of low-fat yogurt and fat-free sour cream with a touch of seasoning, says Moore.
Calorie packer: 1 cup mayonnaise = 1,440 calories Calorie saver: 1/4 cup light mayonnaise and 1/2 cup plain yogurt = 429 calories
Total calories saved: 1,011
Pick your protein wisely. Roast meats are your best bet. Most of the calories in turkey, chicken or duck are in the skin; remove that and you've got a lean (and delicious) protein. Also keep an eye out for high fat, salty meats such as bacon or sausage that can be trimmed from recipes. And try soy-based products when recipes call for ground meat. "Add soy to a dish and heating it up gives texture and flavor without as many calories," says Moore.
Calorie packer: 5 oz. roast lean ham = 320
Calorie saver: 5 oz. roasted white meat turkey = 145
Calories saved: 175 calories
continue....
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