by Kristen Desmond
If you like preparing and eating delicious, satisfying food for the holidays, you're in luck. Good food can also be good for you — no compromises required. With a little knowledge and pre-planning, your holiday meals can be wholesome, nutritious and delicious, leaving you with room to enjoy the special occasion.
Stick with natural, whole foods. Before purchasing canned or prepared foods, read the ingredient lists. If the list includes words you don't recognize or can't pronounce, skip it. Instead, choose foods that have five or less ingredients, all of which you recognize as real food. Use whole grains such as wild rice, brown rice, quinoa, kasha or bulgur as a base for salads, stuffing and side dishes. Serve multigrain rolls or cornbread with dinner.
Let the season be your guide. Rely on fresh, seasonal produce for salads and side dishes. Toss chopped carrots, turnips and rutabaga with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast them for a delicious side dish. Make a seasonal soup using pumpkin, butternut squash or sweet potatoes. Highlight seasonal fruit in relishes, sauces and dessert.
Boost the flavor. You don't have to rely on fat and salt to boost flavor. Enhance the flavor of any dish with healthier options including fresh herbs, spices, capers, olives, horseradish, citrus juice and zest, mustard, salsa, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, pesto, pepper, onions and garlic.
Choose your fats wisely. Let's face it — fat plays a key role in lending both taste and texture to many holiday dishes. No need to totally avoid it; just be smart about what you choose to use. Instead of partially hydrogenated and other processed vegetable oils, cook with healthier mono-saturated fats such as those found in nuts, seeds, olives, olive oil, coconut oil and grape seed oil. Be wary of processed foods labeled "fat-free." While they may be free of fat, they are often packed with calories and may be low in nutritional value.
Lighten up. There are lots of tricks for lightening even the most traditional holiday dishes. Instead of adding heavy cream and butter to your mashed potatoes, consider seasoning them with caramelized onions, fresh herbs (think thyme or parsley) and olive oil, or roasted garlic and fresh spinach. Instead of relying on heavy sauces, use marinades to tenderize and flavor meats. If you can't imagine a holiday meal without gravy, then consider making a delicious sauce out of pureed roasted vegetables and stock. When making dips and dressings, substitute plain fat-free yogurt or sour cream for mayonnaise. In soups and sauces, evaporated skim milk, which is unsweetened fat-free milk with 60 percent of the water removed, works as substitute for heavy cream. As an alternative to sugar, use honey, maple syrup, dried fruit or natural fruit preserves.
Go organic, at last some of the time. Food labeled organic has been grown or produced using organic practices, which are good for the earth and our collective health. However, purchasing organic food can sometimes be expensive. In this case, limit your organic purchases to those foods that are otherwise typically loaded with hormones, antibiotics, chemicals, or pesticides such as meat, poultry, dairy, peaches, apples, sweet peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, grapes, spinach, lettuce and potatoes.
Lead the way. Whatever you do, don't tell everyone they are about to enjoy a healthy holiday meal. Just make it happen by leading the way. Start with a flavorful, fiber-full first course such as a vegetable soup or seasonal salad. Instead of serving the main course family style, plate the main course for your guests. This technique helps with portion-control and limits everyone's inclination to overindulge with second and third helpings. Be sure to serve water with dinner and consider offering a non-alcoholic festive "mocktail." Keep dessert on the lighter side by serving poached pears, fresh apple pie, raspberry sorbet, high-quality dark chocolate with fruit or artisanal cheese with grapes. Once the meal is complete, suggest taking a group walk around the block. The fresh air and exercise will not only aid digestion and invigorate the senses, it will allow everyone an opportunity to reflect on how surprisingly wonderful they feel after their healthy holiday meal!
As a trained chef and competitive runner, Kristen Desmond doesn't want to choose between being fit and being a foodie. She wants it all. Read her blog at www.getyouryummyback.com.
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