There are easy ways to make holiday meals healthy and yummy.
Foods high in salt, saturated fat, refined sugars, and alcohol can raise the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer.
These simple changes can make holiday meals healthier.
Stuffing
Many packaged stuffing mixes are VERY high in sodium. With around 400 to 500 mg of sodium, they can contain about 20% or more of the maximum daily recommended amount in a ½ cup serving!
They can also be high in fat and are usually high in simple carbs that raise blood sugar quickly.
They can add an extra 150 to 400 calories to your meal, and can add 6 to 8 grams of fat, 25 to 65% of which is saturated fat depending on ingredients.
How to make stuffing healthier
Make your own stuffing using margarine and/or vegetable oil instead of butter and use unsalted/low-sodium broths.
Consider whole grains instead of refined breads or try wild rice or quinoa for a twist.
To increase nutrients, try adding mushrooms, zucchini, celery, squash or dark leafy greens such as kale.
Experiment with different spices like sage, thyme or fennel. Add nuts and seeds such as walnuts or hemp, or add fruits like pears, apples, or dried cranberries for a boost of flavor and texture.
Unleash your inner culinary artist by trying new recipes. We were inspired by these recipes from CookingLight.
Mashed potatoes
Mashed potatoes can be a huge source of fat and salt, particularly restaurant and store-bought varieties.
How to make mashed potatoes healthier
The trick to creamy potatoes is to save a bit of the water used to boil potatoes; this contains starch that will thicken potatoes naturally reducing the need for cream or milk.
Use low-fat/non-fat milk or dairy alternatives and lower butter content by using margarine and/or olive oil.
To reduce salt use spices like lemon pepper, salt substitute (if no kidney disease), garlic, or herbs to promote flavor.
Other ways include:
- reducing portion size
- substituting baked potatoes with toppings on the side (non-fat sour cream and herbs instead of salt)
- substituting with sweet potatoes for a great source of vitamin A and phytonutrients
Gravy
Ready-to-serve gravy products are usually VERY high in salt. Most brands have a whopping 400-600 mg of sodium in about 3 ounces!
This is nearly a quarter of the maximum recommended daily amount of salt, and you haven’t even started eating the main dish!
How to make gravy healthier
Look for low-sodium varieties, use less, or make your own.
Sodium content will vary, but making your own with a low-sodium broth can dramatically reduce salt content (30 – 230 mg, or 3 to 20 times less than canned varieties).
The basic recipe to make homemade gravy:
- 2 cups drippings or low-sodium broth
- ~2 T starch to thicken
- spices to taste
- optional – add milk or dairy alternative + extra starch to thicken
Pie
Pies are very high in refined sugars that can raise blood sugar quickly. They are also usually very high in saturated fat, mostly due to the crust.
| Pie1 (1 slice) | Calories | Fat | Saturated Fat | Sugar |
| Pecan | 375 – 540 | 20 – 30 g | 25 – 45% DV | 25 – 51 g |
| Apple | 300 – 400 | 16 – 17 g | 35 – 50% | 13 – 30 g |
| Pumpkin | 280 – 410 | 12 – 18 g | 25 – 45% | 21 – 30 g |
Typically a quarter to more than 100% of the total recommended amounts of these nutrients is in one slice of these pies.
It’s not surprising that it is easy to gain weight during the holidays. The amount of fat and sugar in one slice of pie is quite shocking!
How to make desserts healthier
Portion sizes are critical here, so don’t overindulge when it comes to pie. It’s easy to add on hundreds of extra calories and enormous amounts of fat and sugar with just a tiny piece.
Instead, skip the crust or share a slice.
Mix fresh fruit or provide small bite-sized samples of other low-calorie desserts alongside a tiny sliver of pie; that way you can still enjoy pie without eating so much of it.
Also, consider healthier alternatives to pie. Low-fat and low-sugar ice cream, frozen yogurt, or angel food cake with sliced strawberries can satisfy a sweet tooth with less damage.
Alcohol
Many alcoholic beverages are very high in calories, especially mixed sugary drinks. Calories from beverages can also add up very quickly.
| Beverage1 | Calories |
| Light Beer (12 oz) | 110 – 130 |
| Wine (5 oz) | 120 – 130 |
| Beer (12 oz) | 175 – 200 |
| Ales and darker brews (12 oz) | 175 – 275 |
| Mixed drinks homemade (8 oz) | 175 – 300 |
Most beers and homemade mixed drinks will typically have 175 to 300 calories. Use sugary bottled drink mixes and you can easily double these numbers.
Wine and light beers typically have less calories.
How to make celebration beverages healthier
Consider sticking to lower calorie drinks like a light beer or a glass of wine.
Alternating with non-alcoholic drinks like water or carbonated waters with a splash of juice between alcoholic drinks helps to allow your body time to detoxify and increase hydration.
Because alcohol is a known toxin, definitely consider other ways to celebrate like:
- a smoothie bar
- a hot cocoa bar
- flavored waters (e.g. add lemons, cucumbers, citrus)
- cold and hot tea assortment
Make your holiday meals healthy
Holidays are a time where weight gain and poor health can happen quickly.
Small changes to your diet add up, and they can dramatically affect your health. With simple tweaks, you can make holiday foods healthier.
Make the holidays something you will be happy about even after they have passed.
Be healthy, happy, and be well. Happy holidays!
Content presented here, although created by US Registered Dietitians and PhD-level Nutritional Biologists, is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice. Consult your health care provider before using any supplements or making dietary changes.
1. Data taken from multiple entries. For 1 pie, a slice weighing 114 to 132 g was used, and for alcoholic drinks, different combinations of mixed drinks were calculated along with entries from various manufacturers of alcoholic beverages. All data taken from FoodData Central https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/ November 2020.
