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Sabroso - Winter2008
COOKING LIGHT
By Anela Borrego
Photography by Marty Snortum Studio
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Summer seems to go hand-in-hand with great salads, fresh fruit smoothies and entreés that seem to naturally fall on the lighter side, whereas winter seems to be bring out the comfort foods—meats and gravies, homemade breads slathered in butter, creamy eggnogs and hot cocoas, hot pies and festive cookies—making winter a bit more fattening than its sunnier counterpart. Fat and an abundance of calories seem to be the standard for winter’s most desirable dishes making eating right and cooking light the ultimate challenge, especially during the holidays.
But all hope is not lost. In recent years, nutritional experts have made enormous strides in addressing the weight gain and healthy eating issues many experience during this time of year. There are now a number of solutions to this yearly problem. We’ve gone through the research. We’ve got the inside scoop from an expert—Dr. Ann Bock, a registered dietitian and professor of human nutrition at New Mexico State University. We put it all together to create a survival guide to eating right this holiday season and here it is, just for you.
Go for quality, not quantity. It may be tempting to eat several pieces of Aunt Susie’s famous pecan pie but a single piece is really all you need to satisfy your craving. Depriving yourself of your favorite holiday foods will feel like torture. Instead, opt for smaller portions and know you can enjoy them without completely going off the deep end. Portion control is your secret weapon for holiday eating.
Don’t go to the party hungry. Starving yourself all day so you can indulge in a big holiday meal later in the evening poses some serious problems. “Saving up” for a big meal may seem like a good idea but it will actually do you more harm than good. If you go all day without food, the second you get it in reach, you’re likely to seriously overeat, make bad food choices and regret the whole thing later (experts call it eater’s remorse). Dr. Bock suggests never going to a dinner party hungry. To curb your hunger, try having a light, healthy snack before you go.
Please step away from the buffet table. Have you ever been to a holiday party and by the end of the night you’ve eaten several plates of food without even realizing it? People tend to do a lot of mindless eating when they are preoccupied with other things such as conversation and mingling. “A lot of what we do is very unconscious,” says Dr. Bock. She suggests physically moving yourself away from where food is located to avoid overeating.
Watch out for those empty calories. Dr. Bock describes empty calories as foods or beverages that have high sugar, calories and fat content but don’t provide much nutritional value. Gravies, sauces, toppings (such as those for a baked potato), salad dressings, high-sugar desserts, alcohol (which has seven calories per gram) and mixers are all holiday favorites that are considered to have some of the highest amounts of empty calories. Dr. Bock recommends limiting your empty calories, and whenever possible, she suggests trying to find alternatives for adding flavor without adding fat and calories, like with spices and low-fat versions of your old favorites.
Cook light. Cooking light is something you can do year-round, even during the holidays. If you’re hosting a dinner party this holiday season remember you can create the menu however you’d like, you make the rules. Change it up, prepare a hearty and healthy meal that you and all your guests can enjoy and feel good about, and it will be a holiday meal no one will regret indulging in.
Here is one of our favorite healthy
holiday recipes.
Las Palmas’ Hearty
Pumpkin Chowder*
Serves 6
• 1⁄2 lb thick cut turkey bacon, diced
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 lb pumpkin (eating or sugar type) peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into
• 1-inch chunks
• 4 cups low-sodium broth
• 1 cup fat-free half-and-half cream
Kosher salt and ground pepper
Garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds, chopped green onion
Put the turkey bacon in a large soup pot over low heat and cook gently until it releases its fat, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in curry powder and flour and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin, potatoes and stock. Increase the heat to medium-low and cook until the pumpkin and potatoes are tender, about10 to 15 minutes. Add the fat-free half-and-half and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until heated through. Do not allow to boil. Serve the soup in warm bowls, garnished with pumpkin seeds and a sprinkle of green onions.
*Las Palmas Medical Center has developed a healthy eating cookbook with recipes so good, drooling might be inevitable. The content of their cookbook comes from individuals submitting their favorite recipes. Doctors and nutritionists then evaluate the recipes for their nutritional value. The recipes are then modified, if needed, to create healthier versions of favorites, classics and gourmet specialties. There are healthy recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts. Las Palmas Medical Center is not only dedicated to their clients, they are dedicated to the community, and they know that by promoting healthy eating, they really can make a difference. You can find the recipe for the above listed Pumpkin Chowder and countless others on their website www.laspalmashealth.com or pick up the Las Palmas Heart Healthy Cookbook. |
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