Cutting the fat on traditional holiday meals
The holidays are here again. The kids are almost out of school, family is visiting, and that to-do list is getting longer and longer. It is likely you have that highly anticipated holiday meal on your shoulders and you are looking for a way to please everyone without packing on the pounds. Here are a few secrets on how
to make that holiday meal healthier is ways that are almost undetectable.
Turkey and Dressing: Don’t feel that you have to use butter or olive oil to avoid a dry turkey. Instead, use a no-calorie, no-fat spray, preferably one with a butter or herb flavor. Spray the turkey all over and add spices and herbs by rubbing them into the skin. During the roasting you can add two cups of fat free chicken stock before placing the turkey in the oven. Use the same trick for the dressing, avoiding extra calories from butter by using fat-free chicken broth.
Mashed potatoes: Replace that heavy dose of cream or butter with fat free sour cream and fat free chicken broth.
Green bean casserole: You should be able to use any regular green bean casserole recipe having substituting only a few main ingredients: • Substitute the cream of mushroom soup with a fat free cream of mushroom soup • Take half of the French fried onions and put into a plastic bag and crush then sprinkle on top of your casserole eliminating half the calories and fat • If your recipe calls for cheese, substitute with a non-fat cheese
Cranberry Sauce: Splenda can be substituted for sugar, following the recommendations on the package
Reduced fat “graham cracker crusts”: Create the graham crackers in piecrusts with and 1/3 the graham crackers mixed with GrapeNuts cereal
For sample recipes and substitution portions, please contact Kids Nutrition Houston.
