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WHAT'S NEW
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Healthy holiday foods
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While you work your way through the party season and holiday food offerings, you can seek out guilt-free nutritional gems. Eating healthy throughout the holidays is easy with tips from cookbook author and chef Rose Reisman.
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By Kat Tancock
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Ah, the holidays: sleighbells ringing, snowflakes falling -- and holiday/Christmas/Festivus/name-your-holiday parties chock-full of deliciously fattening foods.
"Holiday eating gives the assumption that we can forget all the discipline we put in place the rest of the year and let ourselves lose control," says Rose Reisman, author of The Complete Light Kitchen (Whitecap, 2007). "But remember," she adds, "the holidays goes on for a couple of weeks. This can result in a very dangerous situation for our weight and ultimate health."
But don't despair -- you really can have your pie and eat it, too. By going light on the treats (it wouldn't hurt to schedule some extra exercise, too) and heading for the nutritional superstars on the buffet table, you can enjoy your favourite seasonal foods without sacrificing your favourite jeans. Here are 10 picks to look for at holiday parties, plus tips on how to make your own gatherings easier on your guests' waistlines.
1. Fresh veggies
This one's a no-brainer, really -- when eyeing the appetizers, fill your plate with raw veggies before going for the richer options, especially if you've arrived hungry. Once you've eaten a few carrot sticks, broccoli florets and strips of red pepper, you'll have satiated your appetite enough to make wiser choices for the rest of the evening.
Home-cooking tips: Always offer a selection of raw veggies and dip to start, and try making the dip with low-fat yogurt or sour cream.
2. Turkey and other poultry
Turkey often takes centre stage during the holidays, and it's perfectly healthy -- in moderation. "I don't worry about whether I eat the dark or light meat," says Reisman, "but keep in mind the white is always lower in fat and calories." Her top suggestion? Skip the skin. "Always cook with the skin on to seal in the wonderful juices," she says, "but have enough willpower to remove it before eating."
Home-cooking tips: Reisman offers the following suggestions on upping the health quotient of your turkey:
- Place it on a rack in a baking dish that has some stock or wine for basting -- never let the meat sit in its own fat.
- To make gravy, refrigerate what's in the pan until the fat rises to the top, then skim and use what remains for the gravy.
- Make stuffing from whole-grain bread, not white, and add sautéed vegetables, dried fruit and nuts for extra flavour and nutrition.
3. Cranberry sauce
Cranberries alone are a nutritional powerhouse -- but problems lie in the vast quantities of sugar used to sweeten them up. Add some cranberries to your plate, but lower your portion size if you suspect it's high in sugar.
Home-cooking tips: Make your own cranberry sauce (it's easy!) and cut back on the sugar called for in the recipe -- remember, you can always add more if you find it too tart.
4. Veggie side dishes
Reisman recommends loading up on sweet potatoes, green beans and other veggie side dishes, trying to choose as wide a variety of colours as possible for the biggest range of nutrients. But go easy on potatoes, she says -- especially if they're scalloped or mashed, which means there could be plenty of hidden fat and calories -- and avoid eating anything that's deep-fried.
Home-cooking tips: "Sautéeing, steaming, grilling and roasting these vegetables is the Number 1 way to go," says Reisman. Try roasting an assortment of root vegetables -- beets, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and turnips are tasty and nutritious picks -- for an easy-to-make addition to your holiday table.
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