By CAROL GORE
NR Writers Group
 
The holidays. A time to cherish loved ones and celebrate what makes life worth living. It is also a time to feast on sugary desserts and carbo-load on mashed potato casserole pies until you wake up on Jan. 1 10 pounds heavier with a closet full of clothes that are too snug.

Food is an integral part of holiday celebrations and should not be taken lightly. With a little healthy eating know-how, discriminating cooks can create a meal that is nutritious, delicious, and something the family will want to gather around.

First, be realistic. No matter how strict you are, pounds have a way of creeping up on us. It does not make you a bad person if you gain a few over the holidays; rather, it is to be expected and shouldn’t be too much of a cause for concern since most people return to their pre-holiday weight when they resume their normal way of eating. However, the less you gain the less you have to lose.

Alcohol is one way calories sneak their way into our bodies. Try to limit alcohol consumption to two units a day (two small glasses of wine, two beers, 2 ounces of liquor) and when possible choose red wine. Red wine has been shown to be beneficial to the heart due to the high antioxidant activity that prevents blood clots and clogged arteries.

For an appetizer, try a blending roasted cauliflower or squash with chicken stock and spices for a hearty vegetable soup. The fiber-rich vegetables will fill the stomach, making you less likely to binge during other courses while giving you a boost of vitamins.

Holiday side dishes are usually heavy with butter, cream, sugar, or prepared soups and light on nutrients.

When cooking side dishes, it is best to keep it simple. Instead of mashed potatoes, try roasting a roasted vegetable like beets, carrots, or sweet potatoes. Beets have a similar texture to potatoes with an earthy and rich flavor and whole carrots look wonderful and vibrant on the plate.

To roast, coat the vegetable with olive oil, salt, and pepper and bake until tender. With sweet potatoes, leave the marshmallows in the hot chocolate. Bake and top with moderate amounts of butter and brown sugar.

Ham and turkey are old holiday favorites but sometimes they are plain boring. Venison is a great alternative because it has the texture of red meat but with less saturated fat. It is also a good source of iron and B vitamins, and since we’ve all either hit them with our car or know people that hunt them, they are easy to obtain. To keep the flavor and nutrients intact, do not cook venison over medium.

To kill a sweet tooth, I would usually recommend a fresh fruit smoothie or yogurt, but it can be difficult to resist the luscious pies, cakes, and cookies that tempt us during the holiday season. I say, go ahead and indulge. It is the holidays, after all.