AAMC Magazine

Winter 2000

Healthy Holiday Eating

Good Health is our holiday wish for you!

Once again, the holiday season is upon us! Parties, big meals, family gatherings and all the leftovers will tempt even the strongest resolve. How will you circumnavigate the sea of empty calories and still enjoy the festivities?

"Like anything else important, maintaining a healthy lifestyle through the holidays involves planning," says Ann Caldwell, AAMC dietitian. "Walk up hungry to a table full of hors d'oeuvres and you'll be sucked right under if you haven't thought ahead. Ask yourself how you can make this holiday season your healthiest ever," she said. "It doesn't mean you have to deny yourself the holiday treats. Many of the family favorites are more than food; they are tradition. I wouldn't think about changing my grandmother's pumpkin pie recipe, but I would think about cutting the pie into 12 slices rather than 8. Planning for the holidays means you have to make some choices and try to balance those choices with activities," she said.

Here are a few tips from Ann:

After a holiday meal, take a walk, not a nap.
Give yourself permission to enjoy the holiday meals, just don't make every day between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day a holiday. Eat healthy in between festivities.
Eat a balanced meal before attending holiday parties.
Burn it up rather than give it up. Don't forget to exercise. Walking not only burns calories, but can also help with holiday stress.
Shift your focus from food to the real meaning of the holidays: joy, family, fellowship, giving thanks, celebration and love.

Test Yourself! Holiday Food Match

See if you can match these typical holiday foods with the correct nutrient and calorie profile below.

1. 1 baked sweet potato
2. 1/2 cup egg nog
3. 3 ounces skinless white turkey meat
4. 3 ounces roasted chestnuts
5. 1/2 cup premium vanilla ice cream
6. 1/2 cup green beans
7. 1/2 cup mashed potatoes

a. 171 calories. High in protein, but also cholesterol. Almost 10 grams of fat. Most is saturated (50 percent of calories from fat).
b. 134 calories. High in protein and B vitamins. Low in saturated and total fat. Very little sodium.
c. 210 calories. (85 percent from carbohydrates). Provides 1 /3 of the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C.
d. 270 calories. Provides calcium. High in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.
e. High in carbohydrates and potassium. Contains very little fat if eaten plain.
f. Only 22 calories. Provides one gram of fiber. Has almost no fat.
g. 118 calories. Provides three times the recommended amount of vitamin A and 2 grams of fiber.

answers

Dare to Compare

It's easier than it seems to cut calories. Compare a high fat, high calorie holiday meal with one very similar and see how many calories you can save.

High-Fat, High-Calorie Meal	Calories		Lower Fat, Lower-Calorie Meal

8 oz. champagne	170	85	4 oz. champagne
6 oz. turkey, white and dark meat with skin	345	230	6 oz. turkey, white meat, no skin
1/4 cup gravy	30	20	1/4 cup low-fat gravy
1 cup standard stuffing	500	125	1 cup low-fat stuffing
2 candied sweet potatoes	285	115	1 cup acorn squash
1 cup buttered steamed green beans	70	35	1 cup steamed green beans
2 rolls, buttered	240	170	2 rolls
1/4 cup canned cranberry sauce	105	85	1/4 cup low-sugar cranberry sauce
1 slice pecan pie, with whipped cream	520	175	1 slice pumpkin pie
Total	2,265	1,040	Total