Eating Healthy Portions During The Holidays

Eating healthy portions during the holiday season can sometimes seem to be very difficult but it does not have to be that way if you make a few minor adjustments to your holiday meals. Yes the holiday season can be very difficult for most dieters if they are trying to keep from gaining any extra pounds during that time. But eating healthy during the holidays doesn't mean that you have to give up all of your favorite dishes but instead try the following suggestions to make your favorite dishes a lot more healthier for you as well as your family.

* Add more spices ... Try adding extra spices to all of your favorite dishes to make them taste good instead of the extra butter or gravy.

* Add evaporated milk whenever the recipe calls for cream ... Anytime a recipe such as pies or gravy requires cream, then you can use evaporated milk instead but remember to use the product made from skim milk.

* Cut out the fat ... Cook the turkey this year in a drip pan instead of one that collects the fat at the bottom of the pan. Also be sure to remove the skin from the turkey before eating because that is where the hidden fat and extra calories are located.

* Do not stuff the turkey ... Cook the stuffing in a separate pan rather than stuffing your turkey. The stuffing in a turkey tends to absorb most all of the fat and calories that you would rather do with out. When using the drippings to make the gravy, be sure to skim the fat off first.

* Eliminate the butter ... As well know, butter can be added to just about everything that you eat during the holidays. For example instead of adding butter to the mashed potatoes, try adding chicken broth and evaporated milk instead to add flavor without adding the fat.

* And how about what you are drinking ... Rather than having those high calorie drinks such as soda, alcoholic beverages or eggnog, instead drink water or juice.

* Pick your side dishes wisely ... Most of what we eat during the holidays meals are the side dishes rather than the main course. Pick a salad instead of the stuffing or the rolls. But remember that the calories can still add up even if you do eat a salad because of the extra toppings that you can add.

Regardless of how healthy something is for you, it is still important that you are eating healthy portions. Even eating healthy foods should be enjoyed in moderation so pay close attention to the size of the portion that you are eating during the holiday season because the calories do add up.