4 More Holiday Meal Makeovers: Healthier Alternatives Part 2

Posted on December 4, 2009 by admin

It’s December, it’s holiday season, and I’m continuing this thread to help your fitness and diet routine survive the all the eating and drinking. 4 more holiday meal alternatives are as follows:

Stuffing

Make it healthy: Use whole grains

Choose whole grain bread and turkey or chicken sausage to significantly lighten your stuffing side. Feeling virtuous? Swap sausage for apples and walnuts.

Turkey

Make it healthy: Butterfly the bird

Butterflying (when you cut out the backbone and flatten the bird) lets the turkey cook for a shorter time, which keeps the bird from drying out. You need less oil and gravy because it’s juicy on its own!

Make it healthy: Get 2-for-1 flavor

Make a pumpkin-pecan pie this year so you won’t reach for a slice of each. Make your own gingersnap crust and you’ll save 5 g of saturated fat per slice over a traditional pie with made-from-scratch pastry dough. Also, don’t go overboard with healthy-but-high-calorie pecans.

Scalloped potatoes

Make it healthy: Skip fatty extras

Three ingredients to avoid: butter, bacon, and Cheddar cheese. Instead, switch to olive oil and fat-free milk and skip the bacon entirely. Be careful not to overindulge on cheese—this recipe sticks to 3 oz for 5 servings.