When it comes to the holidays, people are always asking me, “How the heck can I enjoy the holidays when it’s all about overeating, overindulging and gaining weight?” Well, if that’s what the holidays have become for you, then you’re either going to feel slightly sick or very guilty when they’re over!
But there’s another alternative: Do a makeover on your favorite holiday foods. When you make healthy versions of holiday comfort foods, you can have your feast and eat it too.
Here are some of my favorite tips for healthier holiday fare:
Sweet potatoes. Usually loaded with sugar, try making mashed sweet potatoes with orange juice, a sprinkle of brown sugar, skim milk and reduced fat butter. Or for a baked casserole, toss cubed sweet potatoes with cubed Granny Smith apples, raisins and unsweetened apple juice. Sprinkle with little blackstrap molasses, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Then bake for a nutritious, guilt-free side dish.
Greens. If Southern-cooked greens are part of your holiday tradition, as they are in my family, that usually means overcooked greens swimming in bacon fat. Instead, cut kale or collard into strips, and stir-fry in defatted chicken or vegetable broth. Throw in the good stuff—onions, garlic, cayenne, herbs such as thyme and basil and a dash of liquid smoke (if you miss that bacon flavor). Let the greens wilt and cook through, but don’t kill them. They should stay bright green—not brown. Fifteen minutes should be plenty.
Corn bread. Add whole-kernel corn to your bread. Throw in a handful of chopped red and green bell peppers and maybe a dash of minced jalapeño peppers for extra zest. Substitute nonfat yogurt for the oil in the recipe.
Stuffing. Instead of bread stuffing, which is mostly non-nutritious refined white flour and butter, stuff your bird with mixed-grain pilaf. Substitute cooked quinoa, kasha, and/or wild rice for the bread cubes in your stuffing, and use nonfat chicken broth instead of butter. Don’t forget to spice it up with sage and other delicious herbs.
What about dessert? Well, what about it? I say, enjoy your favorite holiday treats, but instead of a slice each of pumpkin, pecan, and apple pie, take a sliver of each to equal one small slice. No harm in that.
The idea behind converting your favorite comfort foods isn’t so you can deprive yourself, it’s so you can enjoy yourself. If you find yourself eating a little more around the holidays, don’t worry about it. A simple fix: Take a brisk walk for thirty minutes. If you eat more, exercise more. Keeping weight off during the holidays is as easy as… pie.
Dr. Ro (www.everythingRo.com) is Nutrition Advisor for The Today Show and Nutrition Contributor to NPR. Named by “More” magazine as one of this country’s top five nutritionists, Dr. Ro is America’s best-known African American health expert, and the author of the best-selling “Dr. Ro’s Ten Secrets to Livin’ Healthy” (Bantam, 2007).
Steve Cooper is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Hitched. You can follow him on Twitter at @hitchedmedia.
