Healthy ways to enjoy the holiday flavors without the guilt

 

Whether it’s pumpkin spice lattes and apple cider in fall, or chocolate coins and candy canes in December, many people enjoy the sweet and comforting flavors of the holiday season. But at the same time, holiday treats are often jam-packed with sugar and fat. It can be easy to overindulge in the spirit of the season with so many tasty options.

Just one 16-ounce pumpkin spice latte with fat-free milk and whipped cream contains around 390 calories and includes 14 grams of fat and 50 grams of sugar. That’s two times or more the daily recommended amount of sugar for adults. Men should consume no more than 36 grams of added sugar a day, and women and children (2-19 years of age) 25 grams.

While sugar tastes good, our bodies don’t need it to function properly. Added sugars give us zero nutrients, can add calories, and ultimately may cause weight gain and even obesity. Being overweight or obese, in turn, raises the risk of high blood pressure, which is major risk factor for stroke and heart disease. Still, it’s possible to enjoy seasonal favorites as a part of a healthy and balanced diet. The key is enjoying these treats in moderation and picking healthier alternatives whenever possible.

To avoid the sugar rush on Halloween, complement candy with healthier treats such as 100% juice boxes or snack packs of graham crackers or dried fruit. Before trick or treating, serve a healthy meal so small tummies are full. That way, kids are more likely to sample a candy or two and less likely to overindulge. Another trick – choose a small candy collection container and encourage your child to take a single piece from each house.

With Halloween in the rearview mirror, many people look forward to holiday drinks such as pumpkin spice, peppermint, gingerbread or egg nog lattes, and apple cider. One problem with these beverages is they can make us feel less full than solid foods. Then, we overconsume than we should. The good news is that holiday spices and flavors on their own aren’t high in calories. We can enjoy a sweet beverage in moderation – even asking our barista for a smaller size or fewer syrup pumps – and then find healthier ways to enjoy the flavors.

One option is to make a latte at home with low-fat, fat-free or plant-based milk instead of whole or condensed milk. Add a dash of maple syrup instead of sugar. Or, keep your coffee black, and then add holiday spices. You can also skip the whipped cream on top.

Outside of warm drinks, prepare a pumpkin smoothie, add pumpkin puree to your morning oatmeal, or put some pumpkin spice in your pancake batter. 

Supplementing holiday foods and drinks with non-edible items that give off holiday scents is a good strategy, too. Light a spiced apple candle. Or, instead of consuming a candy cane – which with corn syrup and sugar has about 9 grams of added sugar or 25% to 36% of the recommended daily sugar limit – apply a peppermint lip balm.

When it comes to holiday baking, pay close attention to recipes. Sugar cookie recipes typically call for more than a cup of sugar, while gingerbread recipes often include less. Think about substitutions you could make, too, such as non-tropical oils (canola, soybean, safflower oils) instead of butter. Also, use fresh fruit for pies instead of canned pie fillings with added sugar.

Whether you’re eating chocolates from an advent calendar or Chanukah gelt, there are ways to limit your sugar – and fat – intake around the December holidays, too. Dark chocolate is often the healthier choice. While a standard bar of dark chocolate with 70% to 85% cacao has about 600 calories and 24 grams of sugar, milk chocolate includes around the same number of calories, but twice the amount of sugar.

Try a dark chocolate bar with almonds or dried fruit inside. Nutrition experts typically say it’s OK to have 1 to 2 ounces of dark chocolate daily. For hot chocolate, make it at home from scratch with fat-free or low-fat milk or unsweetened almond milk and cocoa powder versus using a sugar-laden premade packet.

With a little planning, sticking to serving sizes, and finding healthier options for holiday food and drinks, you can help prevent weight gain and go a long way toward supporting your heart health while still enjoying the flavors of the season.