Eliana Lakritz MS RD LDN, Clinical Dietitian, Baystate Noble Hospital (WNG file photo)
by Eliana Lakritz MS RD LDN, Clinical Dietitian, Baystate Noble Hospital
With the holidays coming up, it’s time to start collecting ingredients for your favorite dishes. Whether you travel to or host a holiday party, you can help encourage well-being by bringing healthy options to the table. Be an inspiration for a healthy transition into the New Year! Below are some modifications you can make to your favorite recipes to improve their healthfulness.
- For desserts, experiment with different fat substitutions. Plain or vanilla yogurt, nut/seed butters, applesauce, and avocado work well in cakes, cookies, pies and muffins as a fat substitute (or to reduce the amount of fat in the recipe). This limits the amount of unhealthy saturated fat and calories in your baked goods while providing an extra nutritious boost! Try replacing 1?2 cup butter with 1?4 cup applesauce and 1?4 cup margarine.
- For casseroles and creamy soups, replace some or all of the cream for alternative choices. Replace 1 cup of sour cream with 3?4 cup buttermilk and 1?4 cup canola oil OR 1 cup plain low fat yogurt. This helps to also reduce calories and saturated fat.
- For seasoning grains or vegetables, use low-sodium chicken, vegetable or beef broth to provide flavor without using a lot of butter. Heart healthy vegetable oils such as olive oil can be used in place of butter to flavor dishes and also provides a dose of heart healthy fat. Garlic or onion powder, fresh herbs, vinegar, and lemon juice can be used in place of salt to flavor foods.
- Consider leaner choices for dishes that often use bacon or sausage. Canadian ham, chicken, turkey, and sometimes even white/black beans work in place of bacon.
- One of the most standard holiday dishes is mashed potatoes, one cup of which provides about 200 calories. Consider cutting down the calories by using mashed cauliflower in place of or mixed in with the potatoes.
- Whole wheat-based stuffing is a healthier alternative to white bread-based stuffing. Whole wheat provides extra fiber, B vitamins, and protein. It helps to fill you up too, so you are less likely to over-indulge on portion sizes.
- For cocktails, consider replacing sugary mixers with seltzer water, fresh ginger and mint or mashed fruit.
If you are interested in learning more about nutrition counseling sessions with a registered dietitian at Baystate Noble Hospital, please call 413-568-2811 ex: 5671 for more information.
