Healthy Holiday Hints

One of my biggest pet peeves is the labels of "diet" food. Many restaurants now even have a "healthy" section on the menu with the exact calories shown. While it's GREAT that we as a society are taking steps to bring awareness to healthy lifestyles, it's also naive to think that every chef measures and personalizes each portion to the exact amount that corporate has shown you via the menu. Also, sometimes the ingredients are bad for you but the portions are minuscule, leaving you hungry and irritated.

Try not to just go for what companies tell you are better, and instead go for what you know. Think about it, you wouldn't take a piece of candy from some stranger in a suit because he said it's "fat free and sugar free". Think for yourself. Take your favorite meal and make it healthy.

If you're dining out don't be afraid of telling your server what you want. As long as you say it with a smile, you'll be fine. If you're embarrassed to tweak an item to optimal health, tell your peers who you're eating with that you're lactose intolerant so you can't have anything cooked with butter and you can't have any cheesy or creamy products (cheese served at restaurants usually are the cheapest kind, therefore the most fattening), and that you're allergic to nuts so you can't have anything cooked with peanut oil. You can even tell them to let the chef know how to make something (i.e. saying "naked grill" so that they don't use any oil at all). Allergies and Intolerance's are no joke in the food industry, so rest assured you'll have the cleanest plate in the room.

Healthy Ingredient Substitutes to Make For Home
Instead of oil & butter use no sugar added apple sauce or apple butter
Instead of egg use two egg whites or 1/4 egg beater
Instead of flour use 100% whole wheat flour
Instead of Sour Cream use Fat Free Organic Plain Yogurt
Instead of Cream Cheese use Fat Free or Low Fat Cottage Cheese
Instead of butter or oil for nonstick cooking use a Spray
Instead of Milk use Skim
Instead of regular Sugar use Molasses or no sugar added pureed fruit
Instead of Whipped Cream use Whipped Evaporated Skim Milk
Instead of Mayonnaise use Low Fat Yogurt mixed with Low Fat Cottage Cheese
Instead of Dry Bread Crumbs (frying) use Oats or Sugar Free Bran Cereal Crushed (cook)
Instead of White Bread use 100% Whole Wheat Bread

WISHING YOU A HAPPY & HEALTHY HOLIDAYS!