5 Healthy Holiday Food Swaps
Choose healthier ingredients over less nutritious ones
Choose healthier ingredients over less nutritious ones
With delicious holiday treats around, it can be tough not to overindulge. Plus, the stress of holiday travel, social gatherings, family dynamics and a change in routine can cause a disruption to good habits. But being mindful of your choices and making a few healthy substitutions can help you stay on track through New Year’s and beyond.
“People tend to think of the holidays as a few weeks or even a few months,” says Samantha Harris, MD, an endocrinologist at Scripps Clinic Center for Weight Management and Bariatric Surgery in Del Mar. “Shifting that to a few days or even just a few meals, as opposed to just letting go of everything in terms of what’s healthy, can help you focus on what’s important and what you enjoy.”
Or as Misha Biden, a registered dietitian at Scripps Clinic Center for Weight Management and Bariatric Surgery puts it, “It's a holi-day, not a holi-week or holi-month.”
They recommend grabbing a healthy snack before a holiday gathering, limiting alcohol and filling your plate with mostly healthy foods.
5 healthy food swaps
Making a few swaps in holiday favorites can help you continue to be health conscious without sacrificing taste.
- For poultry, choose white meat over dark meat and remove the skin to save on calories and fat.
- Add veggies where you can, such as to stuffing or as a side.
- Substitute Greek yogurt for the butter and milk or cream in mashed potatoes to cut the fat content without sacrificing creaminess.
- Use sauces and toppings sparingly. As Biden says, “Use a drizzle, not a drench.”
- Get creative with holiday favorites. Slivered almonds can replace fried onions on a green bean casserole and cinnamon or orange zest can make a flavorful substitution for marshmallows on sweet potatoes.
This content appeared in San Diego Health, a publication in partnership between Scripps and San Diego Magazine that celebrates the healthy spirit of San Diego.