When patients ask me what they should do about food preparation for the holidays, I am always in a bit of a quandary. For one-day events such as Thanksgiving, my gut reaction is to tell them to enjoy the day and eat what they want – unless they have an allergy or a condition such as heart failure where overindulgence at even a single meal could cause severe damage. For most people, eating less healthy foods only becomes an issue if they do it more than occasionally and consume more than a modest amount. If your holiday meals stretch from November 25 to January 6 and include dozing after dinner while watching a football game, then modifying traditional recipes to make them healthier is definitely the way to go. And holidays are a great excuse to give new recipes or modified favorites a try. Here’s a piece I wrote earlier this year on helping patients navigate and modify recipes.
To Meat or Not to Meat
In general, winter holiday dinners are built around meat, whether it is red meat or poultry. With all due respect to my vegetarian colleagues, for most people, Tofurky with all the trimmings does not conjure up the same wistful memories as the traditional bird. So, if you decide to go the more traditional route, the best ways to improve the health score of your meaty entrées is to serve sauces and gravies on the side, remove the skin of poultry before eating it, and watch the portion size. Generally, 4 ounces of red meat and 6 ounces of poultry is reasonable.
If you are feeling adventurous, you could serve fish. Imagine the visual and olfactory delight brought about by a fragrant fish stew of mussels, shrimp, scallops, and whitefish in a pungent tomato sauce.
Veggies at the Table
One of the easiest ways to build a more healthful holiday dinner is to substitute vegetable dishes for sugar-laden starchy ones. Aim for three vegetable plates for every starchy dish. Starting with an interesting salad is a wonderful way to prime the taste buds. Bitter winter greens mixed with citrus fruits and a slightly sweet citrus dressing is a palate awaking change from romaine with tomato slices.
Another option to consider is roasting starchy or cruciferous vegetables. Roasted carrots, turnips, parsnips, or winter squash are excellent choices. A little olive oil, salt, and pepper are all you need to get started. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts shine when roasted with a bit of garlic and balsamic vinegar. Along with roasting, stir-frying is a terrific way to add flavor to vegetables without dousing them in heavy butter and sauces.
Once you have centered your meal around your vegetable choices, it is time to select your starch. If you are partial to potatoes, try the sweet variety and roast them with a bit of olive oil. If you prefer a grain, try kasha (toasted buckwheat) or farro. Both are high in fiber, have a great nutty flavor, and are quick to cook. Use plain yogurt or low-fat sour cream as toppers instead of butter.
I’ve shared a list below of some additional ways to reduce salt, sugar, and fat in your favorite recipes.
The Dessert Dilemma
There are so many sweet temptations available during the holidays; it can be overwhelming. But sweet desserts can be an enjoyable part of holiday celebrations, so there is no need to avoid them completely. Moderation is the key, so stick to one fruit dessert and one sweet dessert. Try a festive twist with pears poached in port or a fall fruit salad with Greek yogurt or grilled pineapple slices.
Having a Healthy Holiday
Along with all the great food the holidays have to offer, be sure to take the time to enjoy healthy activities too. Food does not have to be the sole focus of your holiday. Exercise and other activities, especially when done with family or friends, can take your mind off food and give you a healthy alternative to snacking. When you are feeling stressed or bored, consider finding something to occupy your time like taking a walk outdoors, enjoying some time with family and friends, or volunteering to help others who are less fortunate.
However you choose to celebrate the holidays, the Silver Fern team would like to wish you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season and a wonderful New Year!
Reducing Sugar, Salt and Fat in Recipes
Sugar
- Sugar can be reduced by a third or half in many recipes without a change in flavor, but remember that sugar provides rising power and browning, as well as moisture to foods so you need to experiment a bit.
- In sweet bread or brownie-type recipes, sugar can be replaced with prune whip or applesauce.
Fat and calories
- Many recipes call for the wrong type of fat or more fat than necessary. Butters and lard can be switched to oils in cooking. When sauteing or stir-frying, consider replacing half the fat with wine or low-sodium broth.
- Lower-fat versions of dairy products such as low-fat yogurt and low-fat sour cream can replace full-fat versions. For baking, butter has more water content than oil, so for every cup of butter, reduce the amount of oil by 2-3 tablespoons and increase the liquid ingredient to equalize the moisture content.
Salt
- Instead of salt, consider using vinegars, lemon juice, herbs, spices, and hot sauces to amplify the flavors in food.
- Try to use only half the amount of salt in cooking and let people add salt at the table to their personal taste.