Six Healthy Holiday Recipes

The holidays can be a terrible time for people who are trying to eat healthy. So many of the special treats that are offered during this time are high in calories, fat content and sugar. They may be offered as a special treat to be eaten only occasionally, but they can add up and cause weight gain, bloating, and high cholesterol.

Cutting down on the butter, oils, and sugar can help, but it may be scary to change a recipe since you still want to make sure that the food offers the same satisfactory treat.

Here are some ways you can have the pleasure of eating while still eating healthy.

Turkey is a traditional meal at Thanksgiving, and a juicy turkey laden with butter is the norm. Butter tenderizes the meat and creates a beautiful caramel color to the bird that makes it beautiful. It also creates a nice crunchy texture to the skin.

To have the same effect with fewer calories, you can consider substituting the butter with yogurt. If you have eaten Tandoori chicken, you have eaten poultry that has been marinated with yogurt. When you substitute butter with yogurt, you can still have the creamy flavor without the fat.

Scott Joseph's Orlando Restaurant Guide offers a recipe for a turkey that has been marinated in yogurt and has Indian spices. You can, of course, use the seasonings that you normally use. This recipe adds butter as a last step to get the caramel color, but I think the turkey looks just as beautiful without it.

Mashed potatoes is one of my favorite holiday foods, but when it is made with butter and milk, it can add a lot of fat in my diet. Whole Living has created mashed potatoes that use white beans instead of the dairy products to add the creamy texture and protein at the same time. Some extra vegetables are also added to increase the nutrients in this dish.

Cake is the traditional food to eat at birthday parties as well at other special occasions. It is however, not a healthy treat. To make it more healthy, you can opt for a cake that is not made with eggs.

Our favorite cake is this chocolate cake recipe from Moosewood Restaurant.

We have made this several times, and it always turns out delicious and moist. Even the family members who are hesitant to eat food that is vegan love it.

Cookies are a wonderful treat at Christmastime and throughout the year. Many people like to bake many batches of cookies to give out as gifts to their friends and coworkers. Cooking Light magazine has put together 100 of their favorite cookie recipesall in one place. Now you can still make lots of different and beautiful kinds of cookies, all with a healthy twist.

Reader's Digest offers this healthy rice pilaf that packs a lot of flavor and vitamins in a healthy holiday side dish. This recipe includes almonds and dried fruits such as apricots and raisins, but you can substitute your favorite accompaniments.

Eating Well offers a tasty alternative to two traditional holiday side dishes with a Cranberry Cornbread recipe. Using whole wheat flour adds nutrition and using buttermilk reduces the fat, yet provides a dish that looks even more festive than the original dishes.

Holiday foods that is healthy can still provide a festive look and delicious and nutritious treats to celebrate the occasion. By using yogurt to marinate the turkey, using beans instead of dairy products for the mashed potatoes, lowering the fat and sugar in cookies and cakes, adding nutritious items in a healthy pilaf and using buttermilk instead of butter in the cranberry cornbread, your family can enjoy healthy food that shows your family how much you love them.