Eating Healthy over the Break

In the interest of not gaining to much over the break I found an article on eating over the Holidays, it was at: eatthis.womenshealthmag.com. I like it because it gives you regular food options, and is very easy to follow.

Worst Holiday Appetizer

Crab Cakes

400 calories

19 g fat

This is what happens when poor, defenseless crab is bound in mayo, rolled in breadcrumbs, and dropped into a vat of bubbling fat: you end up with a single, calamitous cake that packs more calories than three dozen shrimp. (As bad as it may be, it has nothing on some of the appetizers being served at chain restaurants all year long.) Opt for the crustacean cocktail, but keep your dipping under wraps; most cocktail sauces are light in calories, but loaded with sodium.Eat This Instead!

Shrimp Cocktail (12 shrimp)

165 calories

1 g fat

Worst Holiday Party Cocktail

Gin and Tonic

210 calories

22 g sugars

You may be shocked to see the light-tasting G&T on this list, but the sad truth is that tonic water contains more than 20 grams of sugar per 8-oz serving, making it nothing more than a glorified 7 Up. Champagne is just as bubbly but contains only one-fourth of the sugar—plus, you can't look classier than you do holding a champagne flute, right? Drink This Instead!

Champagne

100 calories

5 g sugars

Worst Holiday Party Snack

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

285 calories
17 g fat (11 g saturated)

Looking at your Aunt Debbie's recipe for spinach and artichoke dip, you might get confused. Aside from, well, spinach and artichokes, the ingredient list reads like a roll call of the worst offenders out there: mayonnaise, sour cream and cream cheese, not to mention whatever other cheeses Deb likes to throw in to make it hers. And that's without the chips or hulking hunks of bread. Limit yourself to one chip's worth and fill the rest of your snack plate with something healthier, like the classic Italian appetizer, prosciutto-wrapped melon balls.Eat This Instead!

Melon Balls Wrapped in Prosciutto

100 calories
7 g fat (2 g saturated)

Worst Holiday Beer

Sam Adams Holiday Porter

211 calories
13 g carbohydrates
6% alcohol

Winter-themed beers tend to be heavier and higher in alcohol content, so it's no surprise that Sam's seasonal brew is loaded with extra calories. But there are too many quality low-calorie cervezas to ever mess with one that cracks the dubious 200-calorie threshold. Downgrade to Sam Adams Light and you'll save 87 calories a pop-no small amount when you consider how much beer some people put down during the holiday season Instead!

Sam Adams Light

124 calories
9 g carbohydrates
4.2% alcohol

Worst Holiday Side

Baked potato w/ butter and sour cream

400 calories
14 g fat (6 g saturated)

The difference here is in the toppings—add bacon and cheese to the mix, and add an extra 150 calories. Another smart sides rule: Not all salads are paragons of virtue. Greens with croutons and Italian dressing pack in 140 more calories than a serving of peas with pearl onions.

Roasted red potatoes (1/2 cup)

100 calories
5 g fat (1 g saturated)

Worst Holiday Entrée

Prime Rib

750 calories
45 g fat

The only thing prime about the prime rib is the price you pay for eating it. This coveted holiday cut comes from one of the fattiest parts of the cow, which explains the thick rim of greasy stuff you must saw through to get to the meat. In fact, you can pretty much guarantee that any time you see the word “prime” on a menu, you’ll be ordering an extra 50 to 100 calories over the next dish, easily. Beef tenderloin is just as tasty with just a small fraction of the calories and fat.Eat This Instead!

Beef Tenderloin

165 calories
7 g fat (3 g saturated)

Worst Holiday Dessert

Pecan Pie a la Mode

810 calories
65 g fat
55 g sugars

In the wide world of holiday pies, nothing is worse than a slice of pecan. True, some of the fat is healthy fat from the nuts. Most of these calories, though, come from the filling, which is a sickly-sweet sludge of corn syrup and sugar. Fondue, in comparison, is a fun and relatively healthy way to splurge after a big meal. Angel food cake makes an ideal dipper: light, low in calories, and-because it's made with egg whites-virtually fat-free. Use fruit instead and you'll save even more calories.Eat This Instead!

Chocolate Fondue

340 calories
10 g fat
28 g sugars