Healthy Eating During the Holidays

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(NC)—While food and the holiday season are synonymous with each other there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to enjoy all that the season has to offer. Often ingredient substitutions to your favourite holiday recipes can help cut down on carbohydrates and calories while still maintaining and sometimes even enhancing the flavours that you love. Consider the following healthy holiday ingredient tips:

• Reduce the sugar in muffins and add a small dollop of sugar-free jam or jelly to the centre of the batter or replace the sugar with Splenda

• Reduce the sugar in crisps and cobblers and add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to naturally enhance the sweetness of fruit-based desserts. Extracts such as vanilla and almond are also good flavour enhancers

• Squeeze citrus juice - lemon, lime, grapefruit or orange - over fresh fruit desserts to enhance their flavour. You save approximately 45 calories with a squeeze of juice rather than a tablespoon of sugar

• Use a sugar substitute such as Splenda Brown Sugar Blend which contains half the calories and carbohydrates of one serving of brown sugar

• Replace all or half of the all purpose regular flour in a recipe with whole wheat flour

• If a recipe calls for coffee cream or Half & Half, consider substituting for whole milk or evaporated skim milk

• A lower fat alternative to 1 egg is two egg whites

• If your recipe calls for butter, margarine, shortening or oil, try substituting applesauce for half the called-for butter, shortening or oil

For more baking and cooking tips and recipes, visit: www.splenda.ca.

Credit: www.newscanada.com