It’s finally December, the last month of the year, and with it come the holiday parties. During this season, there’s plenty of life, lights, joy, excitement, expectation, and more... but if we want to prevent weight gain, this time can be the toughest. Here we will help you detect the worst foods of the season so you stay away from them.
1. One of the typical drinks of the season is eggnog, and drinking it may be a bad decision. This drink is made from whole milk, eggs, cream, and sugar. One glass of eggnog adds 350 calories to your diet—this amount of calories could be equal to a complete breakfast. This drink becomes even higher in calories if you add liquor. But don’t worry, there are other holiday beverages with fewer calories; for example, a cup of hot chocolate with reduced calories can provide only 80 or 90 calories. This is definitely much better than the 350 calories of eggnog!
2. During the holidays, we usually have candies, caramelized nuts, chocolates, and many other treats at hand. No matter how small the candy is, it’s not likely you’ll only have one, so it’s best not to have these treats available at home. If you don’t have them handy, it will be easier for you to stay on the right track, and you’ll be able to resist the temptation. If you visit someone who has these candies, sweets, chocolates, and nuts, try to stay away from the table. You’ll often find other healthier choices, such as grapes and apples. Help yourself with one of these options.
3. Sweet potato is a very nutritious cereal, full of B complex vitamins and antioxidants. Its fiber content is high, which is why it is included in the list of complex carbohydrates. Everything is going fine for now. However, during this season, sweet potato is commonly prepared in casseroles that are very, very high in calories, since the recipes usually include plenty of butter, brown sugar or white sugar. These ingredients definitely add plenty of calories. If you like sweet potato, try healthier ways to prepare it; for example, you can bake it with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and fresh herbs. This way, you won’t be adding so many calories to this healthy food.
4. In most holiday celebrations, we will surely find turkey. Here we find very healthy choices and others from which we should stay away. Avoid the dark meat and the skin of turkey, since these areas are higher in calories and fat. Choose turkey breasts in order to get less fat and calories. If you like adding a sauce or gravy, try to use it in moderation in order to keep your meal healthy.
5. The fillings that are often added to turkey can be delicious, but they’re usually very high in fat, especially if made from sausage. If you’re making the stuffing, choose options based on bread, apples, or oysters, and avoid those made of sausages.
