Extension Report

Baldwin County Extension Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, Al  36507

Carolyn Bivins

Regional Extension Agent

Human Nutrition, Diet & Health

November 25, 2008

Healthy Holiday Cooking

The holidays are a special time of year full of celebrating with parties, special meals, and gifts of food. It is easy to pack on the extra pounds with all that extra food within easy reach. Start a new holiday tradition by preparing delicious foods using low-fat cooking

methods.

Most added fat in foods is found in butter, margarine, shortening, oil, egg yolks, sour cream, cream, chocolate, nuts, and cheese. There are many substitutions you can use to reduce the fat in traditional foods. Try substituting the high-fat ingredients in recipes with low-fat versions of the products or decrease the amount of a high-fat ingredient. Decreasing the amount of nuts or using a smaller amount of whole-milk cheese as a topping will decrease the fat calories in a recipe. Make gradual changes to a recipe to avoid a final cooked product that may be dry, rubbery, or tasteless.

Egg yolks can be a source of fat in a recipe. Two egg whites can be used in place of one whole egg. Keeping some whole eggs in a recipe will help with flavor and texture. For every 2 eggs in a recipe, use one whole egg and two egg whites. Breads, muffins, cakes, cookies, and puddings work with egg substitutes. Use one-fourth cup of liquid egg substitute for one whole egg and three tablespoons egg substitute for each yolk.

Other substitutes you can use to lower the fats in foods include plain low fat yogurt and nonfat evaporated milk. Pureed fruits such as dried dates, prunes, apricots, figs, unsweetened applesauce, and bananas can be used to replace some of the oil in baked goods.

Chocolate is used frequently in baking during the holidays. In the place of solid chocolate, you can use cocoa powder. Use a good quality cocoa brand and use 3 tablespoons of cocoa plus 1 tablespoon of canola oil per ounce of chocolate. The cocoa and oil combination have much less fat and saturated fat than chocolate. Grate some solid chocolate on top of the finished product to give it a rich chocolate appearance.   Fat is high in calories and using these tips in preparing your traditional holidays food will help you trim the fat by about 50 to 75 percent and all those extra calories that can lead to those unwanted holiday pounds.

Here are two of my favorite recipes that have new twists for the old traditional versions.  Make them ahead and enjoy during the holidays: 

Cranberry Salad

1 (8-ounce) can (1-cup) crushed, unsweetened pineapple, juice pack (do not use fresh or frozen pineapple – it will not jell)

1 (3-ounce) sugar-free cherry gelatin

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Artificial sweetener to equal 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup fresh cranberries, ground or chopped fined

1 small orange, peeled, quartered and ground

1 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup pecans, broken into pieces (optional)

Drain pineapple and save juice, set pineapple aside for later use. Combine pineapple juice with water to equal 2 cups liquid needed to prepare gelatin and prepare according to package directions.  Once gelatin is dissolved, stir in lemon juice; chill until partially set.

In a separate bowl, mix together pineapple, sugar substitute, cranberries, orange, celery and nuts.  Add mixture to the partially set gelatin and stir until blended.  Pour into large mold or 8 individual molds.  Chill until firm.  Note:  This low-calorie salad is packed with fiber.

Nutritional Information:

With Nuts: Calories: 80, Carbohydrates: 11 grams, Fat: 3 grams, Sodium: 27 mg, Protein: 1 gram, Fat: 3 grams

Exchange: 1 Fruit; 1 /2 Fat

Without Nuts: Calories: 35, Carbohydrate: 11 grams, Sodium 27 mg, Protein 1 /2 gram, Exchanges: 1/ 2 Fruit

Recipe adapted from Diabetes Cooking School, Georgia Cooperative Extension Service

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

4 Tablespoon reduced-fat margarine

4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)

2 Tablespoons skim milk

1 (8 ounce) tub “Lite” frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 cup skim milk

2 boxes sugar-free instant vanilla pudding (4 serving size)

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin (NOT pie mix)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Mix graham cracker crumbs and reduced-fat margarine  with fork until well-blended. Press into bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Bake for 5-7 minutes at 350°F. Cool while mixing next layer.

Beat softened reduced-fat cream cheese until very smooth.  Beat in 2 Tablespoons skim milk. Carefully stir in half of the carton of thawed reduced-calorie frozen whipped topping. Spread on cooled graham cracker crust. Place in refrigerator while mixing next layer.

Pour skim milk into chilled bowl. Sprinkle both boxes of pudding mix on milk. Beat with wire whisk or mixer on low speed 1-2 minutes. Mixture will be very thick. Stir in pumpkin and spices. Fold in remaining half carton of frozen whipped topping. Spread on cream cheese layer. 

Chill for at least 1 hour. May be made the night before serving. The dessert can be garnished with additional whipped topping, toasted nuts (increases calories and fat) or cinnamon. Cut into 16 pieces for serving. Refrigerate unused portions.

Nutrition Information:

Servings: 16 Calories: 149

Carbohydrates: 18g Fat: 7.4 g

Sodium: 115 mg Protein: 3 g

Recipe adapted from Take Control of Diabetes with Lifestyle Changes, Alabama Cooperative Extension System

Email address: cbivins@aces.edu

Phone: 937-7176 or 943-5611, 928-0860, ext. 2222

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

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