It proceeds to subsequent slides, featuring game-day grub, Oktoberfest, chubby chili, cream soups. It proceeds to discuss seasonal drinks, such as hot cocoa, eggnog and hot toddies, and the ever-popular pumpkin-space lattes. It suggests instead relishing a hot cup of green tea (0 calories) or a wine spritzer. I don't know about you, but some of those hot drinks ARE the holidays; green tea simply doesn't cut it. Sure, 1 cup of eggnog might pack 350 calories, this before the Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, but surely cannot possibly be substituted with green tea!
It continues with caramel apples, and suggests, instead, apple slices with "low-fat" caramel dip. What, pray tell, is low-fat caramel dip? Frankly, if you don't mind picking caramel out of your teeth for the next three hours, go ahead and enjoy the 500-600 calories from a single caramel apple - I doubt that the low-fat version would be much better!
To be sure, there are some egregious "habits" in our society, not the least of which is Halloween candy. Where did this get started? Dressing up in costumes should be the focus of this tradition - not the candy. That's just me, though. Halloween is a celebration of the eve of All Saints' Day, and has precious little to do with candy. The same holds true for Easter (nothing to do with chocolate bunnies). The objection here is that eating habits begin in childhood, and children learn from whatever society - including their parents - teaches them. If kids associate Halloween with candy or Easter with chocolate, and they will follow suit, happily consuming the sugar without a single thought to the meaning of the holiday itself, except for a mere superficial tip of the hat when forced to go to church (for a short refresher course, Halloween is shorthand for All Hallows' Eve, the eve of All Saints' Day, and is a remembrance of the dead, including the saints, including Grandma, including the unknown soldier - NOT zombies! It is a proverbial trip to the cemetery to lay flowers on the tombs.).
Root vegetables follow, in fat-laden casseroles, the yams with the obligatory marshmallows. Here is where substitutions can be made, and deliciously so. Roasted sweet potatoes are incredibly rich in flavor without adding so much as a pinch of sugar. They can be roasted whole, or sliced thick, sprinkled with salt and pepper, perhaps a little garlic, perhaps a bit of cinnamon, and the flavor can't be beat. Absolutely delicious as a side dish. WebMD also describes the indecent number of calories in the holiday desserts, the pecan and apple pies, frequently with a scoop of ice cream. It suggests omitting the crust, or serving them with a dollop of light whipped cream. Now, I ask you - is it a holiday if you omit the crust? I somehow don't think so. I personally would rather not eat any pie at all than omit the crust! Ditto for the pumpkin cream pie. 'Sides, who can eat just one piece?
As a final salvo, the article suggests all things in moderation, and "Eat plenty of veggies prepared without added fat and sugar." Yeah, right. Before going to a holiday dinner, I'm going to stop by Sweet Tomatoes for a trip around their raw vegetable bar where I can stuff myself silly with raw green peppers and mushrooms, and then show up at the dinner party claiming, "Oh, I'm stuffed." I'm sure that'll go over big with Aunt Mary.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-frighteningly-fattening-fall-foods?ecd=wnl_din_093013&ctr=wnl-din-093013_ld-stry&mb=
No comments:
Post a Comment