December 9, 2010 by Marcia Jess

 We are rolling into the most festive time of the year. And that means all those tempting delights that we all enjoy making and sharing puts our appetite into high gear.  Weight gained during the six-week holiday period accounts for most of a person’s total weight gain over a year’s time! 

 You can make your favorite holiday foods with fewer calories and without sacrificing taste!  Try these easy ingredient substitutions and reduce some extra calories in our favorite holiday recipes.

 Fat:

  • In place of regular cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise or salad dressing in your dip, cheese ball or cheesecake, use low fat or fat free products. 
  • Low fat yogurt can also be substituted for sour cream in some recipes.  Consider that 1 cup of sour cream = 495 calories while 1 cup low fat yogurt has just 145 calories!
  • Use skim milk in your creamed dishes and soups.  For more consistency try evaporated skim milk as a replacement for cream.
  • Choose low fat cheeses on your appetizer tray and in recipes.
  • Purchase low fat or fat free whipped toppings and Half and Half

 Sugar:

  • Reduce sugar by ¼ in baked goods and desserts.  If your recipe calls for 1 cup, use 3/4 of a cup.  That saves nearly 200 calories!
  • Replace part or all of the sugar with sucralose (Splenda granular).  You may need to reduce baking time slightly.   Other sweeteners work well for desserts that are not baked. 
  • Choose sugar free gelatins, puddings and beverages.

 Combining these simple changes along with sensible portion control can help you curb weight gain over the holiday season.