Healthy Cooking for the Holidays

Holidays can be the most wonderful time of the year. They can, however, be a time to overindulge. Enjoying a few special holiday treats won’t hurt. We contacted Emerson’s dietitians and nutritionists to seek advice on making holiday indulgences healthier. Here are some helpful tips for healthy holiday eating and a few easy-to-make recipes to keep you healthy during the holiday season.

10 Tips for Making Healthier Holiday Choices

1. Plan. Create a healthy menu and grocery shopping list in advance. Stick to it.
2. Don’t skip meals or save your calories. Skipping a meal to save calories for later often leads to overeating. A nutritious and filling snack, like string cheese, fruit, or nuts, can satisfy your appetite and prevent overeating.
3. Make a toast! Instead of alcohol, try low-calorie options like seltzer water with slices of lemon, lime, or strawberries. Add a splash of cranberry juice! Drink plenty of water to stay full and hydrated.
4. Try a smaller plate. Studies show that switching from a 12-inch plate to a 10-inch plate can result in consuming about 20 percent fewer calories per meal.
5. Eat s-l-o-w-l-y.  Savor each bite. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to signal the brain that you are full. If you eat too quickly, you may eat too much.
6. Think and eat in color. Make your plate look festive by covering at least half of it with fruits and vegetables. Be sure to include lean protein and fiber from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables at every meal to help keep you full at a lower calorie level.
7. Eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed. No one likes that bloated feeling after a meal. Save some food to enjoy as leftovers for a future meal.
8. Substitute with healthy ingredients. Lighten up traditional recipes by substituting unsweetened applesauce or ripe bananas for butter. Cut the sugar in your recipes by 50 percent. Use cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg to flavor your sweet treats.
9. Create a holiday tradition that includes moving. Make being active a central part of your holiday traditions. Have fun walking with family and friends after a holiday meal, or have a dance-a-thon to your favorite holiday tunes. (See below for Kait’s Holiday Dance Party Playlist.)*
10. Don’t feel guilty!  If you overindulge, be sure the next meal is healthy and add some additional exercise.

*Kait’s Holiday Dance Party Playlist

• “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” — Jackson 5
• “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” — Brenda Lee
• “All I Want for Christmas is You” — Mariah Carey
• “Run Randolph Run” — Chuck Berry
• “Feliz Navidad” — Jose Feliciano
• “Santa Baby” — Eartha Kitt
• “Last Christmas” — Wham!
• “Mele Kalikimaka” — Bing Crosby
• “Jingle Bell Rock” — Bobby Helms
• “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” — Andy Williams
• “Frosty the Snowman” — Gene Autry
• “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” — Idina Menzel & Michael Buble

Healthy Recipe Substitutions

When making your favorite holiday recipes this year, you can make small tweaks to lighten them up. Here are substitutes to help make your holiday favorites less impactful on your waistline.

• To reduce fat, use:
  • Reduced-fat or non-fat cheese
  • 1 percent or skim milk or evaporated milk instead of whole milk or cream
  • Use reduced-fat mayonnaise and swap sour cream for non-fat plain Greek yogurt, which has the consistency of sour cream.
• Cook in broth to cut calories. Reduced-sodium, fat-free broth adds flavor to vegetables, stews, and mashed potatoes.
• To reduce fats, instead of margarine or butter in baking, substitute:
  • Heart-healthy olive or canola oil
  • For at least half the fat in a recipe, use an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce, mashed bananas, or pureed pears.
• To reduce cholesterol, whole eggs can be replaced with:
  • 2 egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute
  • Sauté in a non-stick pan lightly sprayed with non-fat cooking spray.
• To reduce sugar, substitute 50 percent of the recipe with a zero-calorie sugar substitute, such as Splenda, Truvia, Erythritol, or Swerve.

Great Recipes to Brighten Your Holidays

Do you feel like you do a pretty good job eating well most of the year, but when it comes to the holidays, all of your good intentions disappear? We know that feeling! That’s why we have assembled several delicious dietician-approved holiday recipes that will leave you feeling great!

Side Dishes

Looking for some interesting holiday side dishes? Try these special recipes.

Green Bean Casserole (light version)

Source: Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 lb. frozen green beans (French cut is best), thawed
• 10.5 oz. canned, reduced-fat, low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 small onion (cut into thin strips)
• Nonstick Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine green beans, soup, sour cream, and pepper in a 9×13 casserole dish. Stir until well mixed and bake for 20 minutes.
3. While the casserole bakes, spread the onion sticks and lightly spray them with cooking spray.
4. Sprinkle flour over onion pieces, tossing to coat them equally.
5. Spray a medium-large skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until crisp, stirring occasionally. 
6. Remove casserole from oven, add ½ of the onions, and stir well.
7. Top with remaining half and return to oven; bake 5 minutes more.

Nutritional Info
Serving: 1 cup
Calories: 77 calories
Nutrition: Total Fat 2.0 g, Cholesterol 4 mg, Sodium 138 mg, Carbohydrates 12 g, Dietary Fiber 2 g, Total Sugars 3.2 g, Protein 3 g

Meringue-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole

Source: Eating Well

Ingredients

• 2 ½ sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup low-fat evaporated milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt.
• 1 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple, undrained
• ½ cup pecans
• Meringue Topping:
  • 4 teaspoons dried egg whites or two large egg whites at room temperature
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

Directions

1. Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a food processor. Process until smooth.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch-square (or similar 2-quart) broiler-safe baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Whisk whole eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, oil, evaporated milk, vanilla and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Add the sweet potato, whisk until smooth. Stir in pineapple and its juice. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with pecans.
4. Bake the casserole until heated through and the edges are bubbling, 35 to 45 minutes. Set aside while you make the topping.
5. To prepare the meringue topping, Position the rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the broiler. Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in the granulated sugar in a slow, steady stream and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
6. Spoon the meringue into a gallon-size, sealable bag. Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Cut a ½ -inch hole in one corner. Pipe the meringue onto the casserole, making marshmallow-size dots. (Alternatively, use a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch tip or spread the meringue over the casserole as if you were frosting a cake.) Broil until lightly browned, watching carefully to prevent burning, 30 to 90 seconds.

Nutritional Info
Serving: ½ cup
Calories: 196 calories
Nutrition: Total Fat 6.8 g, Cholesterol 41 mg, Sodium 138 mg, Carbohydrates 29.4 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Total Sugars 17.9 g, Protein 5.4 g

Hearty Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili

Don’t feel like cooking? Fire up the crockpot and make this delicious vegetarian pumpkin chili.
Source: Skinny Taste

Ingredients

For the seasoning mix:

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

For chili:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, minced
• 2 medium carrots, diced into ½-inch cubes
• 4 large Portobello mushrooms, stemmed, wiped clean, and cubed
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 15-ounce can pureed pumpkin
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups unsalted vegetable stock

For toppings:

• 1 extra-large or two small avocados, cubed
• 5 green onions, sliced
• 10 tablespoons reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
• 5 tablespoons light sour cream
• 2 ounces baked tortilla chips, crushed
• chopped cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine everything in the seasoning mix. Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
3. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeño, and sauté until vegetables are soft, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the carrots and mushrooms and cook until carrots start to brown and mushrooms release some of their liquid, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
5. Add the seasoning mix and stir to coat evenly.
6. Mix well with the corn, tomatoes, pumpkin, beans, and stock.
7. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. When the carrots are fork-tender, remove them from the heat. Serve 1 cup of chili and top with desired toppings, such as cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, and scallions.

Nutritional Info
Serving: 1 cup
Calories: 232
Nutrition: Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Sodium: 674mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 8g

Other Side Dishes to Consider

• Balsamic Roasted Carrots
• Holiday Trees with Parmesan Snow

Light and Delicious Holiday Desserts

For some, desserts are the best part of holiday dinners. Here are some recipes to help you feel less guilty after reaching for the sweets.

Mini Strawberry Santas

Source: Snack Girl

Ingredients

• 1 pound of fresh strawberries
• 1 container of cool whip or one canister of whipped cream
• 1 package mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Wash and hull strawberries. Remove the stem.
2. Slice a ¼ inch slice on the bottom of the strawberry. Fill the center with Cool Whip. Add a dab of Cool Whip on top.
3. Add two chocolate chips for the eyes.

Nutritional Info
Serving: 2 Santas
Calories: 64 calories
Nutrition: Total Fat 5.7 g, Sodium 6 mg, Carbohydrates 302 g, Dietary Fiber 3.2 g, Total Sugars 1.6 g, Protein 0.5 g

Iced Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

This gingerbread cookie recipe will taste like the gingerbread cookies you are familiar with, but substitutes a portion of the all-purpose flour with white whole-wheat flour and uses less butter.
Source: Eating Well

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white, whole-wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon salt
•  1/3 cup canola oil
• ½ cup molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1 large egg
• 1 finely grated zest of 1 orange

Cookie Icing

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar; add more as needed
• 2 tablespoon dried egg whites
• 4 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• ½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
• Food coloring for decorating

Directions

1. To prepare the cookie dough, whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat oil, butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and orange zest in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until well blended.
2. With the mixer on low speed and then medium speed, beat about half the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until incorporated. Beat in the remaining flour mixture until just incorporated. Let the dough stand for 5 minutes. It should be somewhat firm but not at all dry. If it seems overly sticky, stir in up to 2 additional tablespoons of all-purpose flour.
3. Divide the dough into thirds. Place one-third of the dough on a 12-inch-long sheet of parchment paper and shape into a disk. Top with a second sheet of parchment. Roll the dough out between the parchment into an 8-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick. Place the dough in the paper on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Freeze on the baking sheet until cold and firm, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. Place another baking sheet in the freezer to chill, too (it will be used under the dough as the cookies are cut out).
4. To shape and bake the cookies, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
5. Working with one portion of dough at a time, remove from the freezer and place on the chilled baking sheet. Remove the top sheet of parchment and cut out cookies with 2 1/2- to 3-inch cookie cutters. Transfer to a prepared baking sheet with a wide, thin spatula, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart. Repeat with the remaining dough. (If the dough gets too soft, freeze it until it is firm again. As you cut out cookies, set aside the scraps. Shape all the scraps back into a disk and reroll between parchment. Freeze for at least 30 minutes before cutting out.)
6. Bake the cookies on the center rack, one pan at a time, until browned on the bottom, 6 to 12 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool.
7. To prepare icing and decorate cookies: Stir together confectioners’ sugar and dried egg whites in a small bowl. Stir in water, corn syrup, and vanilla (or almond) extract until smooth. Divide the icing among three small bowls and add a few drops of red dye to one and green dye to another so you have white, red, and green icing. Add more confectioners’ sugar if necessary to achieve a thicker consistency for piping. Spoon each icing color into a pastry bag with a writing tip or into a small plastic bag with a tiny tip with one corner snipped off. Pipe designs onto the cooled cookies. Let stand until the icing sets before storing the cookies.

Nutritional Info
Serving: 2 ½ – 3-inch cookie
Calories: 126 calories
Nutrition: Total Fat 3.6 g, Sodium 40 mg, Carbohydrates 22.3 g, Dietary Fiber 0.7 g, Cholesterol 8.6 mg, Protein 1.2 g