How to Make Your Holiday Healthier
By Sara Butler
The holiday season means many things to many people, but one thing that it includes a lot of is food. You go to parties, family gatherings, and other get-togethers with one common theme: There's usually a buffet. When you're out and about during the holidays, you have to make smart choices. But when you're asked to bring a dish or you're hosting a get-together yourself, then there are a few sneaky things you can do to boost the nutritional profiles of the dishes you make. Here are a few tips to help you make your holidays a little healthier.
Mashed Potatoes
Who doesn't love a heaping serving of mashed potatoes just like Grandma used to make? The problem is that Grandma probably used copious amounts of butter and salt to make hers. You can breathe new life into this dish and make it a bit healthier by using sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes.
When you peel a potato, you're getting rid of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Sweet potatoes have a bit more fiber than their pale cousins and they have fewer calories and fat too. Sweet potatoes are also very high in Vitamin A, which gives them their orange hue. Vitamin A is used by your body to promote a healthy immune system and healthy skin, too -- both things that will help you this winter.
You can also cut out some of the unhealthy fat by skipping the butter in your mashed potatoes and using olive oil instead. Extra virgin olive oil mixed with garlic, fresh herbs, and vegetable broth can add way more flavor than butter, anyway!
Make a Deviled Egg Swap
Many people wouldn't consider the holidays complete without some deviled eggs. Eggs themselves are actually very healthy for you, it's just the mayonnaise added to the deviled eggs that isn't. To help solve this problem but still get your deviled egg on, you can easily replace the mayonnaise in any recipe with Greek yogurt.
Per one-quarter cup, mayonnaise has about 360 calories. Greek yogurt has only about 30 calories for the same amount, plus it's higher in protein, which can help you feel fuller for longer and keep your portions at holiday meals under control.
Simply switching out a couple of things can make a big difference in your holiday. Now if they could only come up with a healthy alternative to pie, we'd all be winners!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Buford, Ga.