0 Do You Have Your Holiday Menu Planned?

Do you have your menu planned for that special holiday gathering? Before you finalize your food selections, stop and think about how to take some of the unhealthy ingredients out and put some of the healthy ingredients in.

According to the Nurses’ Health Study, the foods that contribute the most to weight gain are french fries and other fried foods, potato chips, sugar-sweetened drinks, red meats and processed meats, sweets and desserts, refined grains, and butter (these results were published in June 2011 in the New England Journal of Medicine). According to the American Heart Association and World Health Organization, a person shouldn’t consume more than 7% of total calories from saturated fat. With all of this information, a little ingredient modification and you’ll be on your way to a healthy holiday season.

Some simple ways to modify a recipe without changing it altogether are to decrease the sodium, use fat-free or low fat milk and serve fruits and vegetables without butter or sauce. For more ideas, check out these tips on how to make your meal healthier.

Some favorite healthy recipes you might want to try this season are Pumpkin Bread with Cranberries, Simple Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs, and for dessert Handmade Granola, which by the way, has no refined sugar!

You can still enjoy the holidays and feel good about the healthy changes you’ve made.