Tips for a Light and Flavorful Christmas

How can you avoid nibbling your way to extra pounds this holiday season?

Here are some tips for creating a healthy and delicious Christmas:

• Serve one type of meat or fish paired with a couple of flavorful and appealing side dishes for a low-stress, time-saving meal your guests will love.

• Use seasonal fruits and vegetables as a base for your dishes. For a healthy plate, select mostly vegetables and salads and a small portion of meat. Leftover veggies and meat make a delicious salad for later in the week.

• For flavorful roasted vegetables without the fat, brush veggies lightly with olive oil and cook them separately from the meat.

• Cut out the fat from your protein by: choosing lean meat and trimming off any remaining fat, taking the skin off of poultry and skimming the fat off of meat juices before preparing gravy.

• Serve either ice cream or whipped cream with your dessert. Sorbets or yogurt are a healthy substitute.

• Pair Christmas pudding with low-fat ice cream.

• Fill your cookie jar with healthier options like biscotti instead of fat-filled shortbread.

• Offer low-fat crackers like crisp-breads or water crackers to avoid hidden fat.

• To lower the fat of your mince pies, use filo dough for the crust and chose a fruit based mince filling that is suet-free.

• Before attending holiday parties, eat a healthy snack and drink plenty of water so that you don't over-eat and drink too much.

• Bring a platter full of fresh, colorful fruits and veggies as your party contribution.

• Replace butter and other fat-filled spreads with hummusor reduced-fat cream cheese.

• Indulge in chocolate-dipped fruit to satisfy your chocolate cravings.

• Eat your food at a leisurely pace to give your body time to tell you that it is full.

With Christmas just around the corner, you can enjoy the holidays without packing on the pounds.