More Food Swaps for the Holidays

The holidays can be a hard time for dieters and weight loss aspirationists. And with New Year’s over, how are you expected to handle a whole year of holidays with your new weight loss resolutions intact? Soza Weight Loss has shared some healthy holiday food swaps in the past, but we are here now to provide you with even more healthy alternatives so you can continue to celebrate all 2017 long!

Follow these helpful Do’s and Don’ts for your holiday food switching:

Don’t: Fattening Gravy; Do: Low-Fat Gravy

Normal, beef gravy can be incredibly fattening and full of calories. Making your own turkey gravy is a good way to keep the taste but lose some of the calories. By using fat-free turkey broth, 2 tablespoons of flour, and some seasoning for taste, you have a delicious alternative for your potatoes and meat.

Don’t: Cranberry Sauce; Do: Cranberry Relish

When you open up a can of cranberry sauce, you are also opening up a can full of added sweeteners, sugar, and corn syrup. With ¼ of a cup still worth 100 calories, portion control won’t even be your friend when it comes to this holiday sauce. You can make your own cranberry relish and cut back on the sugar. If you follow a recipe, try using only 1/3 of the sugar amount they tell you to add.

Don’t: Green Bean Casserole; Do: Fresh Green Beans

This one might seem like an obvious alternative, but green bean casserole has become a staple in the holiday feast. The casserole is packed with full-fat cream of mushroom soup (which can easily be replaced with a reduced-fat version). Better than that, serving fresh steamed green beans with sprinkled almond slivers will make a delicious side dish that is both healthy and filling.

Don’t: Flour Rolls; Do: Whole-Wheat

Skipping the bread entirely is best when cutting calories, but we understand that some people just can’t. If you just can’t resist a delicious, steaming dinner roll, make sure that it is the healthiest option you can make. Switching out white flour rolls with whole-wheat is a great place to start.