Trim Your Tree and Lots More

Make the holidays rich in memories and good health

By Mary Lou Perry, RD, MS, CDE, a registered dietitian for the UVA Heart and Vascular Center

As you trim your tree this year, why not try to trim your entire holiday season. It's easy to create an invigorating healthy holiday that won't be remembered for adding on extra pounds but instead for spreading good cheer and good health.

Live Red this holiday and let it truly be the "most wonderful time of the year." Here's how:

If necessary, trim your exercise program, but keep moving

Although you might not have time for your regular exercise routine, stay active. If having friends over, grab some flashlights, gloves, scarves and hats and take a walk through the neighborhood to see the lights. Your friends will thank you for suggesting it. If you don't have 30 minutes to do your workout, at least go for 10 minutes. Chances are, if you've started, you'll go beyond. If not, count it as a victory; you still tried. Walk an extra lap around the mall, even if you've finished shopping.

Trim your home environment

Fill candy dishes with decorated pine cones or ornaments. Keep low-calorie healthy munchies (even create a little green and red theme) available like red and green peppers, broccoli, grape tomatoes, raw sugar snaps with pimentos. Have your table center piece be local fresh fruits and vegetables decorated with a big red bow.

Trim your party itinerary

Instead of bringing high-fat, high-sugar items to a party, offer to bring flowers, napkins, nuts, crudities or sugar-free beverages. When you arrive, scout out healthy food options rather than doing a grab-and-run on all the unhealthy selections. Vegetable sticks (without dip), fruit pieces, plain chicken pieces are fine. Try those first, then move on to some of the less healthy offerings. You will feel less likely to overindulge. Remember, conversation is calorie-free. Get a beverage and settle into the festivities before eating. Try sparkling water and a lime twist rather than alcohol. Alcoholic beverages contain 150-200 calories per glass. Indulge in just 2-3 drinks and you've drunk an entire meal of calories. Don't linger at the buffet or in a kitchen. If you loiter in close proximity to all those temptations, you're asking for trouble.

Trim your holiday recipes

Instead of	Try
Eggs	For every egg, use two egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute. Eggbeaters, Scramblers,or Second Nature can be found in the frozen food section of your grocery store. Or use 1/4 cup homemade  egg substitute (combine 6 egg whites, 1/4 cup nonfat powdered milk, 1 tsp. oil and 6 drops yellow food coloring. Store in refrigerator up to one week.)
Butter	For every cup of butter, use 1/2 to 1 cup margarine (liquid, soft, or soft-stick types); Butter Buds, Molly McButter, "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" butter-flavored spray.
Cheese	Use 1/2 to 1 cup lower-fat cheese like part-skim mozzarella and cheeses labeled "low-fat" or "reduced fat" in place of every cup of cheese. Try mixing 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup reduced-fat cheese in casserole-type dishes for every cup of regular cheese.
Whole Milk	Substituting skim milk for whole milk saves about 8 grams of fat for every cup.
Cream	Trying using evaporated skim milk instead. This works especially well in soups and chowders.
Whipped Cream	Try making your own with this recipe: 1/4 cup ice water, 1/4 cup non-fat milk powder. Beat until thick and add 1/4 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar. Vanilla non-fat yogurt is also a great option for replacing whipped cream.
Baking chocolate	Use 3 Tbsp cocoa powder for every ounce of baking chocolate.
Bacon	Use 2 tsp Bacon Bits or a small amount of lean Canadian bacon or reduced-fat bacon.
Oil	Try applesauce as a substitute for oil or butter. It works great in muffins, quick-breads and coffee cake. You can also replace the fat in your recipes with a mixture of buttermilk and applesauce that works fabulously! Replace the fat with an equal volume mixture of half buttermilk and half applesauce.
Potato chips or corn chips	Rice Krispies, cornflakes and other crushed cereals work well to add crunch to casseroles or coatings. Reduced-fat versions such as Tostitos baked tortillas chips and reduced-fat potato chips are quite tasty.
Cream cheese	neufchatel cheese or "light" cream cheese or low-fat ricotta cheese.
Sugar	If the recipe calls for sugar, you can usually decrease the sugar by 1/3 and not notice any difference in product. Try sucralose or Splenda®. For great recipes, try www.splenda.com