Delicious Low-Calorie Holiday Dinners
You Don't Have to Break Everyone's Diet to Have a Tasty Holiday Meal
Nov 17, 2008
The holiday menu gives a cook a wide range of selections from which to choose. The trick is just to make the healthiest choices. Because it's not the foods themselves that get us in trouble, it's what we end up doing to them and the portion size we eat them in.
Taking the Fat and Calories Out of The Top Three Usual Suspects
Sure all the luscious pictures of Thanksgiving and Christmas tables show a turkey with the skin on, but that doesn't mean you can't remove all those extra calories and unneeded fat. You can still get a moist, buttery brown surface by basting with lemon, olive oil and herbs. Turkey itself is low in fat and full of protein.
Sweet potatoes are healthy in themselves before they get all doctored up with marshmallows, brown sugar, butter and what have you. Try using a gentle sprinkling of brown sugar combined with orange juice for sweet potatoes that will still taste sinfully good.
There is no law that says mashed potatoes must be laden in heavy cream and butter. Did you ever try substituting reduced sodium, fat-free chicken broth, low-fat sour cream or fat-free milk instead? Use garlic and/or other herbs to flavor. Garlic smashed potatoes are a popular favorite that go well with turkey.
Vegetables Are Made to Be Low-Calorie, Low-Fat
Vegetables are easy to make even healthier. Simply steam or roast them. Do without the buttery and cheesy sauces this year. The green bean casserole will taste just as good with toasted almonds on top of it instead of fried onion rings. Use herbs for the flavor. Or do without the casserole and simply saute the green beans in olive oil with shallots. They bring a nice something crispy to the table.
Parsnips and carrots are very good with fat-free oven baking in olive oil with chopped thyme or rosemary to taste.
And for around 100 calories, you can offer cider-glazed brussels sprouts, a beautiful addition to any holiday table:
- Simply bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Cook washed and trimmed sprouts for 6-8 minutes until tender.
- Drain water.
- Then in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves, and 1 thinly sliced red onion.
- Add brussels sprouts and 1/2 cup apple cider.
- Cook on high until cider is reduced and sprouts are tender.
- Add salt and pepper.
Don't Forget the Cranberries
And please don't leave out the healthiest part of any Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner: the cranberries. These beautiful, colorful little jewels have more antioxidants than almost any other fruit, offering protection against heart disease, cancer, and the effects of aging. They also contain condensed tannins, called proanthocyanidins, that prevent bacteria from adhering to the digestive tract, safeguarding you from ulcers and urinary-tract infections. Read more at The Health Benefits of Cranberries.
Pumpkin Pie Can Be Healthy Too
Finally, don't leave off the traditional pumpkin pie, a wonderful source of fiber. Since most of the fat in pumpkin pie is in the crust, do without it. Here's a recipe for a crustless pumpkin pie that will have the relatives standing in line to get the recipe for Low-Fat Pumpkin Crustless Pie.
Summing It All Up
From skinless, moist and browned turkey, through rich-tasting sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes that aren't, to dressed up vegetables that aren't clothed in extra fat and calories, to a guilt-free pumpkin pie, enjoy serving your Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday dinners with a free conscience and no feelings of self-deprivation.
Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas and wishing you a slimmer New Year!
