The Meet and Greet: Just casual conversation with guests around snacks and drinks can be a disaster for the waistline, if you’re not careful. In fact, the things you consume before dinner can add up to more than 600 calories, just from one drink and a couple of handfuls of nuts!
Nuts, while healthy, are very high in calories and fat, and are easy to overeat. Dips and chips can also wreak havoc on the waist. Many are triple doses of extreme fat, sodium and calories.
Alcoholic beverages compound the problem, not only because they can be very weighty (one 6-ounce pina colada packs 398 calories and 6 grams of fat) but because drinking tends to loosen inhibitions and may encourage you to eat something you might normally avoid…like that 3rd slice of sweet potato pie.
So, sip some sparkling mineral water and save the alcohol for a glass of wine with dinner (about 100 calories, 0 fat); skip the nuts and instead snack on the veggie platter (only 50 fat-free calories for a cup each of baby carrots and celery sticks vs. 374 calories and 34 grams of fat in just two ounces of roasted mixed nuts). You can save 622 calories and 40 grams of fat.
Here Come The Starters: Instead of Bajun fish cakes (one of my cousin’s favorites) and 279 calories and 14 grams of fat, enjoy a tasty salad made with broccoli florets, snow pea pods and water chestnuts (total 100 calories, less than 1 gram of fat).
Keep it light with a low fat or nonfat dressing or make your own with one part virgin olive oil to two parts balsamic vinegar, and fresh chives (about 25 calories, 2-3 grams of healthy, mono-unsaturated fat). Broth-based soups are just as filling as a starter, and will save a similar amount of calories and fat. Save 154 calories, 11 grams of fat.
Staying the Main Course: Calorie and fat-wise, all lean meats are perfect… as long as you keep it healthy by not adding fat to the naturally low-fat meal. You may run into trouble if faced with pre-sauced and dressed entrees. Even vegetarian entrees can be hard on your diet if they’re heavily sauced and cheesed.
But as long as you trim the portion size to what you’re used to on your eDiets menu, you’ll be okay. Just say “no” to gravy on the meats and potatoes, (save 100 calories, 7 grams of fat) and instead of the traditional broccoli casserole made with creamy mushroom soup and butter (267 calories and 16 grams of fat), enjoy steamed broccoli topped with slivered almonds and a sprinkle of dehydrated butter granules (60 calories, 0 grams of fat).
Baked sweet potatoes are succulent (55 calories, 0 grams of fat) instead of mashed white potatoes with butter and cream (236 calories and 9 grams of fat). Save 488 calories, 32 grams of fat.
Sweet Endings: Desserts are similar to appetizers. They can make or break your efforts calorie-wise. You can binge on something packed with sugar and fat, or be sensibly satisfied with a sweet-yet-safe dessert. You really don’t have to deprive yourself of dessert, but make it smarter. Instead of Aunt Ophelia’s traditional pumpkin pie, made with whole eggs, two kinds of sugar and heavy cream (one-eighth slice has 346 calories, 17 grams of fat) try a deliciously modified recipe from “COOKIN WITH CRUSH”.
This reduced-fat pie doesn’t sacrifice taste or texture, and has only 150 calories and 7 grams of fat per slice. Save 196 calories, 10 grams of fat.
Drum roll please, *little drummer boy plays*… Follow this advice and your total savings for your holiday meal comes to 1,460 calories and 93 grams of fat!
Happy Holidays!!
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