5 Healthy Holiday Dinner Tips

It can be hard to resist all the rich, tempting foods at the holiday table, but if you’re doing the cooking this year, you can try some of the helpful tips below to create flavor-packed meals without packing on the pounds.

1. Roasting is always a good way to go. It’s one of the healthiest ways to cook meats because you don’t introduce a lot of extra fat, like deep fat frying. Keeping turkeys moist can be a challenge so try cooking the bird upside down or placing it in a roasting bag to help distribute the juices to the breast meat and seal in the juices throughout the turkey.
   
   
2. Get the flavor of bacon without the bacon. If your recipe calls for bacon, try adding a dash of liquid smoke instead. You’ll get the same rich hickory flavor without the fat. It’s a great way to add extra flavor to a traditional green bean casserole – simply add ½ teaspoon of liquid smoke to a homemade roux (using flour, nonfat milk, and a sparing amount of butter) instead of using canned soup. You’ll get less fat per serving and a lot less sodium.
   
   
3. Dress up your mashed potatoes. It’s hard to forego mashed potatoes at a holiday dinner. But you can do a healthier version by whipping up your potatoes with chicken broth or nonfat milk. Then for added flavor, mix in one large clove of pressed garlic and ¼ cup fresh chopped green onion or chives instead of butter. You’ll get lots of flavor, and the aroma is super tantalizing!
   
   
4. Sweeten you cranberry sauce with fruit. Instead of adding a full cup of sugar to your cranberry sauce, cut the amount in half and add a chopped apple and raisins to the cranberries while they simmer. Include a little cinnamon and nutmeg and you’ll get a true holiday burst of flavor.
   
   
5. Keep the pumpkin but scratch the pie. Pumpkin pies use evaporated milk, eggs, and pastry shells – all high in fat and calories. Try serving a lighter dessert that’s less filling and more figure friendly like lowfat, sugar free pumpkin or cinnamon ice cream. This cool, refreshing dessert is the perfect way to end a holiday meal.