At Home Simple, Healthy Holiday Food Swaps

Simple switches can yield big results when it comes to reducing calories & eating healthier. Please feel free to add your tips & tricks! 

• Think herbs & spices(cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, extracts) to add flavor in all dishes
• Use olive oil & herbs instead of butter, cream or cheese
• Use low fat/dairy free cream cheese/ low fat Greek yogurt instead of cream
• Use agave nectar/honey/Stevia instead of white sugar
• Season with fresh lemon juice or fresh herbs.
• If you have whey protein powders – replace flour with this in recipes
• Make green bean casserole with low-fat or dairy-free sour cream;
• Replace sausage, white bread and butter in stuffing with nuts, whole grains and broth or water (if you can't give up the sausage, opt for the turkey or chicken version).
• Buy French baguettes (made without fat or sugar) for stuffing; serve instead of high-cal rolls.
• For snacking - choose nuts over pretzels - sprinkle them with salt-free lemon pepper or cinnamon.
• Use chestnuts in stuffing – much lower in fat
• Cook the stuffing outside the bird to lower fat content. Add chopped spinach & spices such as fennel or sage instead of meat.
• Purée potato-&-vegetable mixtures to use instead of cream sauces.
• In fruit pies, use half the amount of sugar the recipe calls for, or substitute with stevia/honey/agave
• Use whole-wheat pastry flour – more fiber & less chemicals
• In cheesecake, substitute part-skim ricotta cheese for cream cheese = more protein & less fat
• In brownies, cookies, & fruit breads, use pureed pumpkin instead of oil.
• Use cauliflower/squash instead of potatoes, or sweet potatoes with cinnamon & spices, over white ones with butter & cream
• Roast turkey on a rack so that the fat will drain off.
• To bring out their natural sweetness without the added sugar, roast, don't boil, sweet potatoes.
• Lighten your string bean casserole by skipping the cream soup – sauté with onions instead
• If making your own cranberry sauce using Stevia instead of sugar cuts cals in half. Or choose apple sauce.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!!