Christmas parties can be fabulously festive without getting fat.
With a little creativity and positive intention you can improve
its festive gastronomic traditions by serving sumptuous and healthy meals.
As a Christmas chef, you have the power to be selective and create a
Menu to delight and alleviate the guilt of the traditional festive table. Simple
Changes in cooking techniques lighten your favorite food with professionals.
ease. This year, create your own holiday traditions by changing
habits and help recipes evolve, adding your own health claim
legacy to the family.

These 5 tips will help you get started… health!

• 1. Choose your “must haves” and make a plan; choose the dishes and foods that you like the most, they are important and symbolic for you and your family. These are the things that are most worth spending calories on. Edit what you can without feeling deprived. Consider whether another (healthier) option might qualify. For example, would baked sweet potatoes work instead of candied yams? If the answer is no, set your original recipe aside for possible modifications (see tip #3).
• 2. Choose your menus differently and wisely. After your “must haves,” balance and fill out your menu with healthy, whole food options. Avoid more dishes with sauces and sauces. Look for vegetable and whole grain based dishes, lean meats, beans and green salads. Consider more fresh fruit, low-fat yogurt, and ice cream for dessert. Pumpkin or fruit pies have half the calories of pecan pie. In general, think high fiber and low fat.
• 3. Select your ingredients differently. Low-fat (and some fat-free) dairy products can be substituted for full-fat dairy without any noticeable change. Evaporated skim milk is the classic cream substitute for dieters. Low sodium salt is a great way to cut down on a common holiday culprit. Choose whole grain breads and rolls, brown rice, and multigrain pasta (tastes better than whole wheat). Chicken, ground turkey (without skin), lean beef, and pork are better choices than fattier meats like short rib, ribeye, sausage, bacon, and ham. Low-fat and fat-free mayonnaise works wonders in recipes. Don’t forget the nonstick cooking spray to reduce excess calories and fat. To ensure your feast is as flavorful, nutritious, and visually appealing as possible (without excess calories), use as many fresh, whole foods and herbs as possible.
• 4. Simple cooking techniques lighten up your menu the way spa chefs have become famous. In addition to making choices like those described above, spa chefs use techniques like braising, roasting, and steaming to prepare tender, flavorful meat, fish, poultry, and vegetables without added oil or fat. Baking and grilling are also considered key low-fat cooking techniques. Always trim visible fat and remove skin from poultry before cooking. Basting with fat-free broth or fruit juice is essential for a moist but low-fat roast. Steaming is an amazing and underrated technique that can produce quite delicate results. Substitute two egg whites or an egg substitute for every egg in recipes and applesauce can replace up to 1/3 of the oil when baking.
• 5. Consider positive handling. Plan meetings where food is not the sole and central focus. Have a soup or salad buffet for lunch instead of normal afternoon or evening feasts. Arrange food on tables in decreasing order of importance. Place healthy, high-fiber, low-fat options at the front of the buffet table and higher-calorie options toward the end of the table. Serve dessert only after the meal.

Don’t wait…create your own healthy Christmas traditions this year. Lighten up
Prepare your Christmas party without compromising an iota of enjoyment.
Savor
your food and I appreciate your intelligence in celebrating with joy
without adding extra circumference. Raise a toast to the Christmas chef!

© 2005 Karen B. Cohen. All rights reserved.