High Calorie Holiday Foods to Avoid
12/24/2011 Leave a comment
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| Photo Credit: Tim Lewis CC-BY-SA-2.0 2008 |
All those delicious holiday treats and traditional dishes can tempt even the most dedicated dieter and weight-conscious. nutrition oriented person. The occasional treat probably won’t undermine all your hard work to stay lean and fit, but be careful not to over-indulge in some foods on the holiday banquet table. Balanced diet and exercise are essential to keeping your weight under control and staying healthy.
Swedish meatballs are a holiday tradition in many households, but did you know that many recipes call for loads of butter, white bread, salt and fattening heavy cream? One cup of Swedish meatballs can have as many as 400 calories! Individual meatballs can be small, which makes it easy to over-indulge in these tasty treats. Eggnog is another traditional holiday treat that has over 400 calories per one cup serving. Eggnog contains bourbon, sugar, eggs and cream. Opt for a nice hot cup of flavored tea instead of eggnog.
A baked potato is a healthy food that is rich in vitamins and minerals, but when you load it up with cheese, butter, bacon bits and sour cream, you’ve also loaded up on the calories and the fat. One baked potato with bacon and cheese has over 330 calories. Skip the bacon and cheese and enjoy your baked potato with low-fat sour cream and chives. Steamed vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots and asparagus, taste delicious and are packed with nutrients and vitamins. Load your baked potato with these tasty alternatives.
Red meats like pot roast and steaks can have as many as 400 calories per serving. Choose lean cuts of meat and skip the drippings and gravy. Roasted white meat turkey is lower in fat and has fewer calories if you don’t eat the skin. Where there’s a turkey there will probably be stuffing. Cornbread stuffing made with onions and celery contains fewer calories and less fat than sausage or white bread stuffing.
What would a holiday dinner be without dessert? Fruitcake and pecan pie are two traditional holiday sweets that can ruin your diet. A one-inch square piece of fruitcake can have almost 60 calories! One slice of fruitcake has nearly 400 calories. Pecans are a nutritious snack when eaten alone, but when you bake them in a buttery pie crust with sugar, butter and corn syrup you’re asking for a calorie overload! One slice of pecan pie contains around 360 calories. Fresh fruits and berries are a healthy alternative to pies and cakes.
You’ve just got to have one of those crispy, flaky sweet sugar cookies! Think about it before you reach for a second cookie. Sugar cookies are usually made using processed, bleached flour, whole eggs, butter and a lot of processed white sugar. Oatmeal cookies made with whole grain oats and sweetened with light corn syrup and raisins are delicious and packed with fiber.
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