The holidays are associated with high-fat, high-sugar, and high-calorie goodies. While some recipes are old-time family favorites that are an important (and tasty!) part of holiday celebrations, other recipes can be tweaked to be healthier.

We all know what it feels like when January arrives and we’re bombarded with advertisements about gym memberships, weight loss plans, diet pills, and meal programs. The frustration often sets in that we’ve over-indulged in December and now it’s time to pay the price. However, when you enjoy a healthier holiday season, it’s a lot easier to stay on track with your health goals.

Fat and sugar are the two main culprits in decadent holiday foods. However, there are many strategies and substitutions that can be used – that won’t ruin the flavor.

How to Reduce Fat

Buy lower-fat versions of food products. Try lower-fat dairy products, like light sour cream, skim milk, low-fat or reduced fat yogurt, and reduced-fat cheese (such as the 2% milk varieties). If these products are being used in a recipe, the lower-fat versions usually work very well without a noticeable change in the texture or taste of the food. Fat-free products, however, are not the best choices for cooking and baking, though they are great for toppings and condiments.

In addition, buy lower-fat poultry and meat. The skin on chicken is the least healthy part and contains a significant amount of saturated fat. Skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins are the healthiest choice for poultry. While red meat is generally higher in saturated fat, the leanest cuts of meat are round, chuck, sirloin, or loin. In addition, ‘choice’ or ‘select’ grades of beef are better choices than ‘prime’ because of their lower fat content. Also, look also for extra-lean or lean ground beef, or beef with no more than 15 percent fat.

Use lower-fat cooking techniques. Using cooking techniques that don’t involve added fats is another way to reduce the amount of fat in your foods. Instead of frying or sautéing your foods, bake, broil, poach, or steam them. Non-stick vegetable oil sprays (instead of butter) can also be used to treat pans, grills, and griddles to prevent foods from sticking. In addition, microwave cooking is another low-fat method. Microwaving foods like vegetables and meats is a convenient and healthy cooking technique because it locks in nutrients, flavor, and color, and also saves time.

Season foods with herbs. Spices and herbs can add exciting flavors to foods and help make added fats (butter, sauces and gravies) unnecessary. Dried herbs are a convenient and cost-effective way to make foods more interesting – and healthier. Try spices like sage, oregano, dill, and chili powder to add new flavors to your foods. Also, using more spices helps minimize the need for added salt. Fresh lemon and lime juices and vinegar are also great flavor-enhancers and provide no fat or calories.

Experiment in the kitchen. Try making your own favorite recipes with a few substitutes. For example, try using low-fat cheese in place of regular cheese or light sour cream in place of regular.

How to Reduce Sugar

Use fruit purées to replace some of the sugar and fat in cookies or muffins. You can purchase fruit purées in cans (pumpkin purée) or in frozen form (frozen blueberry purée). If you are feeling adventurous, you can even make your own by boiling fruits and blending them in a food processor.

Bake with sugar substitutes to also reduce the amount of sugar, especially in baked products. Splenda® Sugar Blend for Baking and Equal Sugar Lite® are blends that incorporate some sugar and some sugar substitute, while still yielding a good product.

Bake with sugar substitutes to also reduce the amount of sugar, especially in baked products. Splenda® Sugar Blend for Baking and Equal Sugar Lite® are blends that incorporate some sugar and some sugar substitute, while still yielding a good product.

• Experiment with reducing the amount of sugar by one-quarter to one-third in most drop-cookie recipes.
• Take advantage of the natural sweetness of dried chopped fruit instead of the candied variety to add to your favorite baked goods.
• Portion smaller amounts of cookie dough (for instance, 1 teaspoon instead of 1 tablespoon) for mini-versions of your favorite treats. Bake at a lower temperature for a shorter period of time.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Cannellini Bean Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 15 ½ oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, well rinsed and drained
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• ½ t. dried rosemary
• 4 T. olive oil
• 2 T. red wine vinegar
• ¼ to ½ cup water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients (except salt and pepper) in a food processor.
2. Pulse mixture to a smooth puree.
3. Gradually add more water if needed.
4. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
5. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes so the flavors combine. Serve chilled.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 cups. Serving size: 1 T. Calories: 25. Fat: 2 g. Saturated Fat: 0 g. Protein: 1 g. Carbohydrate: 1 g. Cholesterol: 0 g. Fiber: 1 g.

Guilt-Free Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 T. olive oil
• 2 T. flour
• 1 cup fat-free half-and-half
• ¾ cup 1% milk
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 t. salt
• 1 ½ pounds baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 4 cups sliced)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Lightly coat an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
4. Whisk the flour with the oil, and cook for 1 minute.
5. Whisk in the fat-free half-and-half, milk, garlic, and salt.
6. Add the potatoes, and cook until boiling, about 10 minutes.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
8. Bake for 40 minutes.
9. Uncover and bake for 7 to 10 minutes longer, until bubbly.

Nutrition Information:
Servings: 6. Per serving: Calories: 153. Fat: 3 g. Saturated Fat: 1 g. Protein: 5 g. Carbohydrate: 26 g. Cholesterol: 1 mg. Fiber: 0 g.

Easy Pie Crust

Ingredients:

• 1 package (1/3 pound) Graham crackers
• 2 ½ T. maple syrup
• 2 T. sesame tahini
• 1 ½ t. water

Directions:

1. Finely grind Graham crackers in a food processor.
2. Add the remaining ingredient and process until well blended.
3. Press the mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan.
4. If an unbaked filling is to be used, bake the crust in an oven heated to 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until lightly browned. Otherwise, add the filling and bake the pie as directed.

Nutrition Information:
Servings: 8. Per serving: Calories: 355. Fat: 4 g. Saturated Fat: 1 g. Protein: 2.7 g. Carbohydrate: 81 g. Cholesterol: 0 mg. Fiber: 1 g.

Raspberry Chocolate Pie

Ingredients:

• Mixture for Easy Pie Crust
• 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 T. maple syrup
• 1 ½ pounds frozen raspberries, thawed and drained (reserve liquid and set aside)
• *2 T. arrowroot powder (2 T. corn starch can also be used)
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 t. almond extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare the Easy Pie Crust mixture as instructed above, adding the cocoa and maple syrup to it. Put all ingredients in a food processor until well blended.
3. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and bake for 20 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
4. Combine the reserved raspberry liquid and arrowroot powder in a saucepan until smooth.
5. Add the brown sugar and gently fold in the raspberries.
6. Stir the entire mixture over medium heat until it becomes clear and thickens.
7. Add the almond extract.
8. Allow mixture to cool.
9. Spoon the mixture into pie crust.
10. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Nutrition Information:
Servings: 8. Per serving: Calories: 513. Fat: 4.5 g. Saturated Fat: 1 g. Protein: 4 g. Carbohydrate: 121 g. Cholesterol: 0 mg. Fiber: 5.5 g.

*Arrowroot powder is a starch thickener. It has a more neutral flavor than cornstarch, so it’s a good thickener for delicately flavored sauces. It also works at a lower temperature, and tolerates acidic ingredients and prolonged cooking better. The downside is that arrowroot is pricier than cornstarch, and it’s not a good thickener for dairy-based sauces.