Andrea Rumschlag, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic offers some times for keeping your favorite holiday desserts a little healthier.
What's Christmas without cookies? Or Cakes? Or Pies? It's nice to indulge in a dessert or two at a holiday party or when getting together with Family or Friends, but you don't have to send your diet to the North Pole. Registered dietitian Andrea Rumschlag says there are plenty of ways to cut some of the Fat and Calories from your recipes.
"Reducing the fat content by using applesauce or even cutting out 25% of the added sugar is not going to effect your final baked good product or finding a sugar-substitute that you’re comfortable with, that you’d like to work with that can reduce the sugar content of your dessert."
Rumschlag says you can also reduce fat and calories by swapping yogurt for recipes calling for sour cream or use a low-fat sour cream. You can also move away from the traditional cookies, cakes, and pies we see this time of year for something completely different. She says to try putting together a plate of fruit and dip them in some dark chocolate. The fruit is naturally seet and the dark chocolate will provide some extra antioxidants. Or you can do a nut mix with some dried cranberries, cherries, and some dark chocolate. Rumschlag says, if all else fails, practice portion control.
"So, limiting yourself and knowing what you’re going to be faced with, if you can, that way you can make those decisions beforehand saying "OK I am going to have a smaller piece than I did last year. Or I am not going to have seconds of all the desserts that are on the table."
Rumschlag says having a plan and sticking to it is one way to increase your odds of succeeding at the dessert table.
