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If holiday festivities bring to mind overindulging in fat-laden feasts and sugar-plum treats, take heart. You don’t have to hibernate to avoid the health traps of winter celebrations. You can eat
healthy and enjoy the season. The key is moderation.
Add more fruits and vegetables to your plate to help control
portion sizes and calories. Choose food wisely at buffets
and dinner parties, limit alcohol consumption and
balance your splurges with extra exercise.
When you cook, take advantage of seasonal treats
that offer significant health benefits such as nuts, dates
and figs. Use pecans, walnuts, almonds and peanuts
for small snacks and in casseroles, salads, cookies and
cakes. Dried fruits, especially cherries, cranberries and
apricots, are rich in phytochemicals, plant compounds
believed to play a role in warding off heart disease and
cancer. Choose fresh or frozen produce, lower-fat versions
of dairy ingredients and whole grains for side
dishes, breads, rolls and stuffing. Add some new
recipes to your table, like the healthy versions here,
and make eating well a yearlong tradition.
Turkey
1 boneless, skinless turkey
breast half (about 2 1/4 pounds)
3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. black peppercorns,
crushed
1 tsp. cumin seed, crushed
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Cranberry sauce
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup dried apple slices
Grated rind of 1 orange
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup all-fruit apple butter
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
Rinse turkey with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Set
aside. In a large, nonreactive bowl (plastic, glass or stainless steel),
combine yogurt, garlic, vinegar, pepper, cumin, rosemary, ginger
and cinnamon. Add turkey and turn to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate
overnight, turning the meat occasionally.
While turkey is marinating, combine cranberries, apples,
orange rind and orange juice in a food processor or blender.
Process until finely chopped but not pureed. Transfer mixture to a
medium saucepan. Add the apple butter and maple syrup. Bring
to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered
for about 10 minutes. Transfer to serving bowl and allow to
cool. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
To roast turkey, remove from marinade and place in an oven
cooking bag. Discard marinade. Roast turkey according to manufacturer’s
directions or until internal temperature reaches 170°.
Start checking internal temperature after 1 hour.
Remove turkey from cooking bag and let stand for 10 minutes
before slicing and serving. Serve with cranberry sauce.
Serves 8. Per serving: 252 calories, 1.2 g fat (4% of calories), 32.6 g protein,
27.5 g carbohydrates, 1.9 g dietary fiber, 85 mg cholesterol, 76 mg sodium
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Hot-mulled Apple-cranberry Punch |
4 cups water
3 cups fresh or
frozen cranberries
3 cups apple cider
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick,
broken into pieces
1 tsp. whole cloves
1/8 tsp. ground
nutmeg
Rind of 1 orange, cut
in 1 continuous strip
Cinnamon sticks
Orange slices
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat,
combine water, cranberries, apple cider, sugar,
cinnamon stick, cloves, nutmeg and orange rind.
Bring to a boil. When the cranberries begin to
pop, reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for
10 to 15 minutes, or until berries are tender.
Remove from the heat.
Strain mixture, discarding solids. Pour into
mugs and serve warm, garnished with cinnamon
sticks and orange slices.
Serves 6. Per 3/4 cup serving: 118 calories, 0.2 g fat
(1% of calories), 0.3 g protein, 31.4 g carbohydrates,
1.9 g dietary fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 mg sodium
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3 pounds potatoes, peeled
and cubed
3 tsp. non-diet tub-style
margarine
3 tsp. butter-flavored
sprinkles
1 to 1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk,
warmed
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
Place potatoes in large saucepan and cover with cold water.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes,
or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
Drain well.
Return potatoes to pan or transfer to a large bowl. Add margarine
and butter-flavored sprinkles. Using a potato masher or
electric mixer, mash thoroughly. Beat in milk and sour cream, 1/4
cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Beat in salt,
pepper and paprika.
Serves 8. Per serving: 169 calories, 1.9 g fat (10% of calories), 4.6 g protein,
34.1 g carbohydrates, 0 g dietary fiber, 1 mg cholesterol, 341 mg sodium
Root vegetable variation: Add 1 pound carrots, turnips, parsnips
or rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, to saucepan
along with potatoes. Increase cooking time to 20 minutes, or
until vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork. When
mashing vegetables, add enough reserved cooking liquid to
achieve desired texture.
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Glazed Acorn Squash Rings |
4 small acorn squash
2/3 cup orange juice
2 seedless oranges,
peeled and sliced
1/4-inch thick
6 Tbsp. maple syrup
Pinch of ground
cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 400°. Cut the squash into 1/2-inch
thick rings. Remove and discard seeds. Coat a
large nonstick jelly-roll pan with nonstick spray.
Place squash in a single layer on the prepared
pan. Pour orange juice over squash. Cover with
foil. Bake for 10 minutes, or until squash is
almost tender when pierced with a fork.
Remove squash from oven and add orange
slices in a single layer. Drizzle with maple syrup.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover pan
and return it to oven. Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes or
until squash is lightly caramelized and tender.
(Flip oranges and squash at least twice as they
bake, basting with pan juices each time.)
Serves 8. Per serving: 118 calories, 0.2 g fat (2% of calories),
1.6 g protein, 30.3 g carbohydrates, 3.1 g dietary fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 mg sodium
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Recipes reprinted with permission from Prevention’s
The Healthy Cook. ©1997 by Rodale, Inc.
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