Category: Healthy Diet

Chips with sour cream dip, fried eggrolls or chicken wings, mayonnaise-based spreads with crackers—ever notice how these high-fat higher-calorie foods appear at nearly every holiday party? If you’re hosting this season—or if you’re bringing party food—set a new standard. Serve heart-healthy fare. Invite guests to bring a dish and do the same. (Even ask them…

Holiday breads, turkey with all the fixins’, Grandma’s veggie casserole bubbling in the oven: What foods conjure up your own family memories? The family table is more than a place to eat together. Family food traditions bind families together, especially during the holiday season. As part of your holiday celebrations, honor family food traditions. Start…

Want to sweeten your pot with flavor, not calories or added sugars? Then experiment with sugar substitutes (intense sweeteners).You get sweet taste with just a tiny fraction of the calories—especially useful if you’re managing your weight or diabetes. Intense sweeteners aren’t carbohydrates, so they won’t promote tooth decay either. Check the supermarket shelf. You’ll five…

Want an easy taste adventure? Substitute ripe fresh or canned pears in any recipe that calls for apples: baked crisps, salads, even applesauce or baked apples. With a little citrus juice, fresh pears won’t discolor. Like apples, pears pack plenty of goodness. Peel on, a medium pear delivers just 100 calories and about 4 grams…

Cookies, cookies, and more—an array of homemade cookies, served on a holiday plate, marks the season. But who’s got time for all that baking? And how to resist indulging if you do bake? Easy solution: just exchange! Invite a group of friends or coworkers to bring four dozen of their favorite cookies to swap, along…

Be jolly and enjoy party food! But with all the eating and drinking that goes with entertaining, how can you avoid what may seem inevitable—seasonal weight gain? Extra weight comes from more than partying. Fewer daylight hours and busy social schedules often make fitness routines low priority. Cookies, candy, dips, and nog—many holiday foods are…

Ready to start your holiday baking? Baking experts advise using quality ingredients and measuring carefully. Use soft, not melted butter or margarine—unless the recipe says to melt. Preheat your oven. Use the suggested pan size. Follow doneness advice. Cool on a rack. Experiment for nutrition. The results may differ from what you’re used to. For…

Giving food gifts this season? Great idea—if they keep their peak quality and stay clean and safe en route. Give recipients a heads-up so your gift doesn’t sit out too long. Pack gifts in clean, well-protected containers. Pack perishables frozen or refrigerator cold, in an insulated cooler or heavy box with cold packs or dry…

Throwing a holiday party? If you plan to serve alcoholic drinks, host responsibly. Plan ahead so a cocktail, beer, or glass of wine can be part of the festivities—without putting a damper on your guests’ fun and personal safety. For the record, a healthy body can detoxify about one drink per hour; drinking coffee won’t…

Are holiday expectations making you stressed? Are you tempted to eat your holiday cookies right away instead of saving them? Are seasonal time demands competing with your daily eating and exercise routine? Here are some ways to cut holiday stress and keep control of your personal fitness: Organize. Plan ahead, keep to-do lists, combine errands.…