If you find yourself reaching for the snack or dessert dish more frequently this holiday season, you're not alone. An estimated 37 percent of Americans cope with stress by eating, according to Mental Health America. And since the holidays draw out stress for many, it's no wonder healthy eating habits fall to the wayside during winter months. Add the overabundance of decadent holiday food and weight gain can seem inevitable.
Bu you can eat your holiday "cake" and maintain or even boost your wellness, too. While indulging in the occasional rich, fatty or sugary treat won't hurt, learning ways to up the nutritional ante on your holiday favorites can help stave off unwanted pounds while providing the satisfaction that comes with knowing you've fueled your body well.
Eating well means honoring your body when it says you're hungry and when you've had enough. This is particularly important during the holidays.
Robyn L. Goldberg, registered dietitian
Green Leaves
If nutritional wellness ranks high on your priority list this holiday season, green should color more than pine needles, wreaths and festive napkins. While all vegetables provide benefits, dark green vegetables are nutritional all-stars, according to registered dietitian Robyn Goldberg.
"Dark green leafy vegetables are high in vitamin K, calcium, magnesium and vitamin C," said Goldberg. "They protect our cells from damage and our eyes from aging-related problems. They also help to regulate blood clotting, protect bone to prevent osteoporosis and act as a regulator for inflammatory disease such as arthritis."
Dark green vegetables also promote appetite control and digestive function while guarding against colds and the flu -- important factors during winter months. Yet conventional American holiday feasts contain little green, other than green beans.
For a healthier take on traditional green bean casserole, replace the sodium-rich canned soup with low-fat milk, fresh herbs, sliced mushrooms and reduced-fat sour cream. Then top it off with onions sauteed in canola oil instead of deep-fried prepared onions. For crunchiness, add whole grain bread crumbs to your onion mixture.
Christine Avanti, author of “Skinny Chicks Eat Real Food," recommends adding blanched broccolini, a green vegetable similar to broccoli but with long, thin stalks and smaller florets, to holiday pasta dishes. To blanch vegetables, place them in boiling water for one minute then in an ice bath for 10 seconds.
Other festive options include a kale salad topped with fresh or dried cranberries, string beans prepared with roasted squash and baked or steamed Brussels sprouts topped with slivered almonds. For a nutritious snack, swap pretzels and potato chips with kale chips.
Fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage can add flavor and antioxidants to turkey and prime rib, without the risks associated with salt.
Herbs can also add nutritional bang to cocktails.
“I make a delicious lemon rosemary sakitini drink using fresh rosemary in the simple syrup and as a garnish,” Avanti said.
Go Fish
Fish provides a lean protein-rich alternative to beef, lamb and pork roasts. Cold-water varieties, such as salmon, mackerel and herring, are prime sources of omega-3 fatty acids -- essential fats that play an important role in cardiovascular health and brain function.
“I don’t think people think about fish much over the holidays,” said Goldberg.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Emphasizing heart-healthy foods is particularly important during the holiday season, when the incidence of fatal heart attacks has been shown to increase by about 30 percent.
And you can make fish festive. Goldberg recommends baked salmon cakes or ahi tuna tartar as nutritious additions to your Hanukkah brunch.
In Italian culture, seafood is traditionally served only on Christmas Eve. Avanti prepares cioppino -- a seafood stew loaded with mussels, crabs, clams, shrimp and halibut, served with pasta or warm, crusty bread.
“The great thing about seafood is that it only takes a few minutes to cook,” Avanti said.
If fish doesn't suit your holiday fancy, a turkey is a healthier choice than a red meat dish such as prime rib.
Although turkey skin contains saturated fat, sodium and calories, leaving it on your roast during the cooking process helps preserve moistness. For added succulence and nutritional benefits, baste your roast with fruit juice or an olive oil-based marinade. Then remove the skin just before eating. If you serve a large platter of turkey, garnish the platter with citrus wedges and fresh herbs. Orange segments can add a splash of color and sweet flavor.
For other non-meat protein options, beans, lentils and egg whites can minimize your cholesterol and saturated fat intake. Legume-based dishes well-suited to holiday meals include lentil soup, whole-grain crackers topped with hummus and shepherd's pie prepared with black beans or tofu instead of meat.
And don't forget the gravy. You can make a chickpea gravy by combining chickpea flour, olive oil, water and spices, such as garlic and pepper.
Hearty Whole Grains
Carbs abound on holiday plates, but you can limit the damage they do by focusing on whole grains. Not only do whole grains provide more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than refined grains, they contain more satiating fiber and protein.
“Carbohydrates are the gasoline in your car and what give you energy,” Goldberg said. "So if you’re reducing your carbohydrate intake, chances are you’re not going to have much energy."
You don't have to limit your carb intake if you embrace whole grains. For example, rather than making stuffing with cubed or crumbled white bread, use whole-grain bread and quinoa. Fill your bread basket with whole-grain dinner rolls rather than white rolls. And rather than white or instant rice in holiday pilafs, opt for brown or wild rice. Even stroganof can provide whole grain nutrition; simply use whole wheat, rice or spelt noodles in place of egg noodles.
To add vitamins, minerals and fiber to cakes, cookies and pies, instead of white flour use whole-grain flours, such as whole wheat, almond or brown rice. To prevent dryness, which can stem from replacing all of the white flour with whole-grain flour, replace a quarter to a half of the enriched flour called for with whole grain. Because each whole-grain flour variety differs in flavor and texture, check product packaging for baking tips or seek out whole-grain recipes.
Whole-grain appetizer options include air-popped popcorn seasoned with natural herbs, whole-grain tortilla roll-ups -- whole-grain tortillas filled with lean meats and cheeses then sliced into bite-size pieces -- and finger sandwiches made with whole-grain bread, cucumber slices and hummus.
Preparing your holiday dishes with nutritious ingredients may not keep you from reaching for snacks or desserts, but it can help ensure that whatever you reach for benefits more than your palate. And during the season of giving and receiving, doing so may just be the perfect gift.
"Eating well means honoring your body when it says you're hungry and when you've had enough," Goldberg said. "This is particularly important during the holidays."
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