Happy Holidays to you All !

How you eat and drink on one or two days of the year likely won’t derail your plans for maintaining a healthy weight — as long as you don’t dive into weeks of overindulgence.

At the same time, there’s no need to deny yourself what you await all year: pecan pie, a couple of frosted cut out cookies, green bean casserole. Go ahead and have one or two of your favorites, but resist making it a daily habit. Multiple meals with multiple days of excess can be taxing on your health and your waistline.

If you’ve been trying to lose weight during the holidays, consider scaling back on those ambitions. Possibly shift your goal to just not gaining any weight this time of year. Or Heck aim for just keeping your sanity and unhealthy foods out of the house as much as possible- we all know those food pushers exist!

As you’re cooking and eating, consider some healthy holiday swaps:

1. Swap bread crumbs with rolled oats/ protein powder or extra egg

2. Swap butter, margarine or shortening in baked goods with applesauce, or prune puree for half of the butter, shortening or oil

3. Replace cream with cottage cheese, yogurt or plain Greek yogurt

4. Replace sugar with half the sugar in the recipe and add cinnamon, vanilla, coconut /almond extracts or nutmeg for sweetness

5. Replace butter to sauté with a healthy oil instead — olive, avocado oil are good choices

6. Replace mashed potatoes with half the amount of potatoes mixed with cooked cauliflower, zucchini, peppers, broccoli, sweet potatoes and add Spinach.

7. Replace sour cream/ mayo on sandwiches and wraps with avocado, yogurt, cottage cheese, mustard, hummus.

8. Replace bread & pasta with lettuce wrap, zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice, riced veggies, zucchini fritters or chickpea pasta.

*Try converting your traditional starch-filled holiday plate into a plate that’s filled with at least half veggies — all different colors of veggies, ideally. Think lettuces, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, green beans. Then devote a quarter of your plate, at most, to meat, with another quarter to carbohydrates (potatoes, pasta, rice).

*First fill up on low-calorie foods, such as vegetables, salads and broth-based soups, before moving on to the foods with a higher-calorie count, such as stuffing, casseroles and desserts.

*What’s in your glass matters as well. It can be easy to sip up the calories, because alcohol — even if it’s clear — isn’t calorie-free. Hard liquor mixed with juice or soda is 150 to 200 calories. Wine is a bit lower in calories — 5 ounces of wine is 125 calories. If you make a wine spritzer with half or one-quarter of a glass of wine and the rest sparkling water, that will significantly cut the calories.

​SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT​ here: ​https://l.bttr.to/UC1Uw​

​Erin Utz, RD, MS, is a registered dietitian nutritionist at Devine Nutrition.
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Meal Plan: Healthy Holiday Feast

Appetizer: 1. Roasted Veggie Skewers: Colorful bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and zucchini, drizzled with olive oil.

Main Course: 2. Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast: Lean and flavorful, seasoned with herbs like thyme and rosemary.

Side Dishes: 3. Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate Seeds: Packed with protein and antioxidants. 4. Garlic Mashed Cauliflower: A lighter alternative to traditional mashed potatoes.

Vegetarian Option: 5. Stuffed Acorn Squash: Quinoa, black beans, and veggies, baked until tender.

Green Option: 6. Kale and Cranberry Salad: A nutrient-rich option with a festive twist.

Dessert: 7. Baked Apples with Cinnamon: Naturally sweetened, a guilt-free treat.

Beverages: 8. Infused Water with Citrus and Mint: A refreshing, low-calorie alternative to sugary drinks.

Remember to enjoy in moderation, savor the flavors, and cherish the holiday moments!

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Healthy Recipes include: Egg cups * Spinach Dip

Healthy baked egg cups make the perfect breakfast meal prep for when you are rushing out the door but still want your protein-packed nutrient dense meal. They also make a great snack as well! And they're paleo and whole30 friendly! SERVINGS 12PREP TIME 10minutes TIME 20minutes

Ingredients

FOR SWEET POTATO CRUST:

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Option 1: Sunny Side Up with Bacon
• 12 eggs
• 5 pieces bacon cooked and crumbled
• salt and pepper
• Option 2: Veggie Omelet
• 10 eggs
• 1/2 cup diced red pepper
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced tomato
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease muffin tins very well.
• Grate sweet potato using cheese grater or food processor.
• In a bowl mix together sweet potato, oil, salt and pepper. Line the bottom of your muffin tins with the sweet potato mixture. Bake for 20 minutes then remove muffin tins.
• For Sunny Side up: Crack egg into the muffin tins, sprinkle with bacon and a pinch of salt and pepper.
• For Veggie Omelet: Scramble eggs in a bowl together with veggies, salt, pepper and garlic powder, and add to divide into muffin tins.
• Bake for 20-22 minutes or until eggs are set.
• Remove and serve hot or let cool completely before store in air-tight container in refrigerator for 3-4 days, or the freezer for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Calories: 124kcalCarbohydrates: 3.9gProtein: 9gFat: 8.1gSaturated Fat: 2.5g

Spinach Dip- you can feel good eating

partially hydro, MSG, and garbage in the other kind- this is simple and natural.

25 MINUTES • SERVINGS: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
• 6 cups (6 ounces) -8 cups baby spinach leaves, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 can of artichoke hearts
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Cheese sprinkle
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Grated lemon zest
• Cut-up veggies for serving

Directions

1. In a 10-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. 2. Add the spinach, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper and cook for 3 minutes. 3. Put the yogurt in a medium bowl and stir in the spinach mixture and the cheese. 4. Chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before serving. 5. Serve with veggies or a few crackers, or both. 6. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Sandwich/Salad This dip also makes a great veggie sandwich spread to use in place of hummus or as a salad dressing!

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Cheers and Have a wonderful next few weeks

PS keep your fun in the kitchen and kids involved with these recipe creations.
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Erin Utz, MS, RD