Northern Michigan's News LeaderHealthy Living: Eat This, Not That Holiday Edition

Healthy Living: Eat This, Not That Holiday Edition

It's easy to gain weight during the holidays... Especially with all the dinners and parties and mindless eating they bring. In fact, half the weight we gain all year comes during the weeks leading up to the New Year. So here's the skinny on what to eat and how to keep the pounds away this holiday season. Robyn Haines has today's Healthy Living.

We all have our holiday favorites, but overindulge and you'll pay the price. According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, most people don't ever lose the one to two pounds they gain during the holidays. The news is worse for those already overweight...they pack on five pounds. But you can get through the holidays without busting your waistline.

Start with appetizers-- skip the cocktail meatballs weighing in at 85 calories each and load up on shrimp cocktail with just 13 calories per shrimp. Now let's talk turkey. Should you go white meat or dark? While white meat has less calories, about 46 in an ounce...dark meat only has four more per ounce.

Instead, just trim the skin, that's where most of your fat and calories hide. Pecan pie can pack a whopping 500 calories a slice. Slash 200 calories by using less nuts and adding in some oats. That's going to bump up the fiber while taking down the fat. Finally treat alcohol, desserts, entrees and appetizers equally.  

Another tip? When you're getting ready to make your gravy-refrigerate the stock first to let the fat harden and then skim that off the top. That alone can save you 55 grams of fat per cup.