Tis the season…for baking holiday cookies, making dishes for holiday parties, and the list continues. There are many traditional foods that are served around the holidays that are loaded with fat and calories. However, with some slight modifications, many of these recipes can be little healthier. Try the following substitutions to reduce the fat and calories in some of your favorite dishes:
| Instead of: | Use: |
| Cream Cheese | Low-fat or fat-free cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese |
| Heavy Cream | Evaporated skim milk |
| High-Fat Cheeses | Low-fat or skim-milk cheese (look for < 5gm fat per ounce) |
| Mayonnaise | Low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise or plain low-fat yogurt |
| Oil or fat (for basting) | Fruit juice or low fat stock |
| Oil (in baked goods) | Applesauce |
| Sour Cream | Fat-free sour cream or plain low-fat yogurt |
| Sugar | Nonnutritive sweeteners (i.e. Splenda) |
| Whipped Cream | Fat-free whipped cream or fat-free Cool Whip |
| White Flour | Equal parts white flour and whole wheat flour |
| Whole Egg | 2 egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute |
| Whole Milk | Skim milk |
Saving 50-100 calories here or there, may not seem like a big difference. However, cutting back 100 calories a day can lead to a 10 pound weight loss at the end of the year. Many of these substitutions can be made with very minimal changes to the flavor or texture of a dish. Chances are that your family or friends won’t know the difference, but their waistlines may thank you for it.