The Healthy Hostess

Healthy Up the Holidays Ahead

by Kathy Hester

Everyone has their own reasons for eating better, and most have to do with improving health. If you want to lose weight, lower your cholesterol, or just trying to eat the best you can – here are a few tips to keep you in the holiday scene.

If someone invites you over, offer to bring something you know you will be able to eat. Being a vegetarian myself, it really makes it easier on your host if they don’t know how to cook for you. And you don’t have to wonder if you’ll succumb to temptation. Maybe you’re having the party. Ask if anyone has food allergies or something they are trying to avoid, and make something just for them. I have a few friends that just got diagnosed with gluten allergies. At my last dinner party they were ecstatic. They could not only have a main dish they could eat, but bread and bar cookies too. The book Babycakes is a great place to learn about gluten free baking.

Eat your veggies! Make extra veggies dishes for each dinner – at home or away. At least add steamed broccoli, a baked sweet potato, or a fresh spinach salad in addition to that green bean casserole. It’s easy to get sucked in to the old veggie recipes that have more fat than fiber during the holidays. A big plus is your dinner table will look more colorful. Traditional food seems to lean to the color brown. I love seeing veggies on plates that are white with a hint of color around the edges, like Noritake Colorwave. The Blue is my favorite, green and orange veggies really pop when served on them.

Take your old favorite recipes and change them up a little. I love whole wheat pastry flour. It gives baked goods a smoother consistency, and is a much lighter color than regular whole wheat. Another great substitute is white whole wheat flour. It’s made from hard white spring wheat, instead of the traditional red wheat that makes up regular whole wheat flour. White wheat fools everyone since it’s color is so light, and it’s not as heavy as regular whole wheat.

Try making a few of your recipes vegan. Then don’t tell anyone it’s vegan at the party. The word turns some people off. All it means is no eggs or dairy. A strict vegan wouldn’t eat honey either, but that’s not necessary for our holiday upgrade.

There are great milk substitutes out there right now. I love the So Delicious brand of Coconut milk and creamer that are in the refrigerated section. It’s the consistency of whole milk and real cream. But soy, rice, and even super low calorie unsweetened almond milk are all great choices.

You can use half a ripe banana to replace 1 egg in baked goods or pancakes. My favorite egg substitute adds flax to my diet effortlessly. Ground flax is great to keep on hand for smoothies, and it’s a great egg replacer. To replace one egg use 2 1/2 tablespoons of ground flax, add to 3 tablespoons of water, and mix vigorously with a whisk or fork. It will become gelatinous, and look like a runny egg white with brown specks in it. I promise it tastes better than it looks. Try out something like Earth Balance instead of using butter. I like it better than most margarines because it is free of hydrogenated fats.

Now you can eat your cake and get some nutrition too. Enjoy your healthy holiday season.