The holiday season can mean eating more foods that are unhealthy, but a registered dietitian offered some options to make the holiday meals a little healthier. Hannaford registered nutritionist Ria Saunders said she has a positive outlook, focus on what we add, ”Saunders said. She said to build a plate of naturally good tasting food. These include lean proteins like chicken or protein and seasonal products like beets, sweet potatoes and pumpkin. “Because these are so nutritious, they’re full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, and you don’t have to do a lot with them to really bring out that flavor profile and make them taste delicious,” Saunders said. Seasonal spices, including cinnamon, rosemary, and nutmeg, pack flavor with no extra calories. Saunders said swap ingredients if you can. “If we’re talking about a recipe that contains sour cream, you could potentially use something like a non-fat yogurt, and that could increase the protein in the dish,” Saunders said. Using Greek yogurt or mayonnaise with olive oil instead of traditional mayonnaise can make a meal healthier. Saunders added that there is nothing wrong with cutting back on the stress of cooking on vacation, bad reputation for being overly processed, but there are plenty of great options in our grocery stores, ”Saunders said, saying these are healthier ones Options are tasty and fill you up faster. “All in moderation and with balance,” Saunders said. The American Heart Association has healthier vacation recipes on their website.
The holiday season can mean eating more unhealthy foods, but a registered dietitian has offered some options to make the holiday meals a little healthier.
Hannaford-registered nutritionist Ria Saunders said she has a positive outlook.
“Instead of focusing on what we’re taking away, focus on what we’re adding,” Saunders said.
She said I should build a plate of naturally good tasting food. These include lean proteins like chicken or protein and seasonal products like beets, sweet potatoes and pumpkin.
“Because these are so nutritious, they’re full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, and you don’t have to do much with them to really bring out that flavor profile and make them taste delicious,” Saunders said.
Seasonal spices including cinnamon, rosemary and nutmeg pack flavored with no extra calories. Saunders said swap ingredients if you can.
“If we’re talking about a recipe that has sour cream in it, you could potentially use something like a non-fat yogurt and that could boost the dish’s protein,” Saunders said.
Using Greek yogurt or mayonnaise with olive oil instead of traditional mayonnaise can also make a meal healthier.
Saunders added that there is nothing wrong with cutting back on the stress of cooking on vacation.
“I think half-finished foods often get a bad rap for being overly processed, but there are a lot of great options in our grocery stores,” Saunders said.
Grocery stores offer pre-cut and pre-seasoned vegetables that you can toss in the oven or chopped kits that can be tossed into a salad.
Saunders said these healthier options are delicious and will fill you up faster.
“Everything in measure and in balance,” Saunders said.
The American Heart Association has healthier vacation recipes on their website.
