'Tis the season for feasting on family favorite foods unfortunately, feasting can add a massive 2,000 to 4,500 calories to your daily intake. For those who engage in moderate activity and consume between 1,600 and 2,200 calories per day in order to maintain weight, the calories from one feasting Thanksgiving celebration meal, by any standards, constitute a hefty intake. Research suggests that Americans probably gain about a pound during the winter holiday season, but an accumulation of weight over the years may contribute to obesity and other health problems in the future. These findings run contrary to the popular belief that most of us gain from five to ten pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.
This holiday season try enhancing the flavor and nutrition, while decreasing the fat and calories of your delectable dishes, by using strategies and food ingredient substitutions to help minimize those enormous calorie intakes.
Eat from a plate, not the platter or package, to monitor and keep your portion sizes reasonable.
Article Photos
Amber Kastler, RD, LD is the new dietician for Hy-Vee.
Use a salad plate so less looks like more on your plate.
Baste the bird with fat-free broth or remove the solidified fat before using regular broth.
Serve fresh, high-fiber fruit and vegetables as appetizers. Fiber creates a feeling of fullness and helps us eat a certain volume of foods rather than a certain amount of calories.
Enjoy your turkey without the skin because almost half of the fat resides in the skin.
When mashing the potatoes, use nonfat milk, water or chicken brother while skipping the butter.
Use little or no marshmallow cream, butter or brown sugar when preparing the sweet potatoes. Try baking sweet potatoes with diced apples, raisins and butter spray for flavor.
Make your own cranberry relish instead of serving the high-sugar variety.
Reduce the calories in your famous pumpkin pie by using non-fat evaporated milk instead of cream in your recipe.
Looking for more ways to make your holiday season healthier or have questions on altering your family recipes? Contact Amber at akastler@hy-vee.com or 515-573-4105.
This information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.
Harvest Stuffing
Serves 12.
All you need:
1 package (6 oz) Hy-Vee stuffing mix for turkey
Seasoning package (included in stuffing package)
1/4 cup Hy-Vee margarine
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup diced white onion
1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles
All you do:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large microwavable bowl.
3. Microwave uncovered on HIGH for 3 minutes. Stir well. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Stir.
4. Spoon stuffing into a greased 9-by-9-inch baking dish.
5. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 120 calories, 13 g carbohydrate, 10 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 5 g fat, 3 g protein, 390 mg sodium, 10 g sugar.
Glazed Sweet Potatoes and Apples
Serves 6.
All you need
6 medium sweet potatoes or yams (2 lbs), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Braeburn apples, cored and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup packed Hy-Vee brown sugar
1/2 cup Hy-Vee apple juice
1 tbsp Hy-Vee honey
3 tbsp Hy-Vee butter, melted 1 tsp Hy-Vee ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp finely grated orange peel 1/2 cup Hy-Vee pecan pieces
All you do
1. Place sweet potatoes and apples in a 2- to 3-1/2-quart slow cooker. Mix together brown sugar, apple juice, honey, butter, cinnamon and orange peel. Spoon over sweet potatoes.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours or until potatoes and apples are tender.
3. Meanwhile, cook nuts in an ungreased heavy skillet over medium-low heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently until browning begins, then stirring constantly until golden brown and fragrant.
4. To serve potatoes, sprinkle with pecans.
Nutrition per serving: Calories: 320, Carbohydrate: 51g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Dietary Fiber: 4g, Fat: 13g
Protein: 3g, Sodium: 75mg
Chunky Apple-Cranberry Sauce
Serves 6.
All you need
2 lbs sweet apples (4 large)
cup water
1/4 cup Hy-Vee sugar
2 tbsp Grand Selections maple syrup
1/2 tsp Hy-Vee cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
All you do
1. Peel and core apples; cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in large pot with water, sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and cranberries. Bring to boiling.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 20 minutes or until apples are tender and sauce is thickened. Check halfway through cooking. If mixture is dry, add 2 tablespoons water.
3. Uncover pot and mash apples with fork until pulpy. Stir in lemon juice.
Nutrition facts per serving: 130 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol,
100mg sodium, 35g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 0g protein.