Cut Down Extra Calories in this Holiday Season

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year are occasions when family and friends are gathered around, adds fun to our lives and brings moments of joy. These occasions may distract you from the everyday concerns and worries but, distraction from your diet-No way. On an average a person gains 7-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New year! Here are few steps to keep up yourself throughout the holidays and add joy.

Count the calories

The Caloric Control Council reveals the fact that an average American consumes around 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving Day alone. The fat amount equals to the fat that we should take in three days and twice as many calories which should be consumed in one day. Most of these calories come from snacking all day. So you better watch what you are snacking on and control the portion size.

The turkey itself is a lean meat containing low fat and moderate number of calories. If you are eating a 3 oz serving of white meat, you get 140 calories and 3 grams of fat. In contrast to this, dark meat consists of 160 calories and 7 grams of fat and twice as much iron as present in same amount of white meat.

You can remove skin which is going to cut back 18-20 calories per serving and 2-3 grams of fat. Further cut down calories by basting the bird with white wine or low sodium broth instead of using butter. Add lot of vegetables in the stuffing. The vegetables like carrots, onion, water chestnuts and celery are low in calories and add to taste.

Replacing just one cup of sugar with a sugar substitute like Splenda brand will save over 750 calories. So why not to use it in your pies and other baked goods.

You can further save approximately 77 calories per servings by replacing bleached flour with whole wheat flour. If you think your recipe really requires bleached flour, add half wheat and other half bleached flour.

Make your own chip dip. Replace half of the mayonnaise with low fat sour cream. You will get same creamy flavor, texture and feel and only 1300 less calories in a cup.

Commercially prepared canned Cranberry sauce contains 110 calories in one fourth cup and is loaded with sugar , corn syrup and other sweeteners. Home made cranberry sauce has 20 calories per one fourth cup!

Use low-sodium or reduced-fat varieties of cream of mushroom (or cream of celery) soup for green bean casserole. Choose low-sodium, and you’ll cut nearly 1,000 milligrams of sodium (per can) from your recipe.

Use water, skim milk or low-sodium chicken broth instead milk to dilute the soup.

Now you are ready and you can look forward to spend time with friends, family, and good food!