Holiday Food Breakdown

On Thursday, as you commence the holiday season which is traditionally marked by an annual weight gain, will you give any thought over the caloric content and fat grams you’re about to pour into your gut?

Should you be going for dark or light meat? And what about those mashed potatoes? Which is the worst for you, and which isn’t so bad? The problem with holiday weight gain is three fold: One is alcohol, which is loaded with calories, and we tend to drink much more during this season. The second is portion size: we don’t eat like the rest of the world; we really overeat. The third is the actual fat and calorie content of the food, and that can be manipulated; and still what you’re eating can taste great.

So how do you enjoy the holiday meal without going overboard in fat and calory intake? It’s not an easy task. So we called on the nutrition twins to break the holiday meal down for us. "The calories double and so do the fat as you add the dark meat and the skin. So for that three ounce serving I am going to get 220 calories and ten grams of fat, while Tammy for that three ounce serving of skinless white meat will get only 115 calories and less than a gram of fat," says nutritionist Lyssie Lakatos.

Now, as for gravy, one cup is around 150 calories and six grams of fat. "But we can really get that amount down if you refrigerate the gravy and then skin the fat off the top, you can make the gravy fat free and bring the calories down to 80 calories per cup," says nutritionist Tammy Lakatos-Shanes. And then, what you put the gravy on: the mashed potatoes.

"In just this serving right here a half cup of mashed potatoes made with whole milk and butter you are going to get a hundred and twenty calories and five grams of fat. Why don’t you try making the mash potatoes with skim milk and either butter buds or a little bit of garlic powder and in that case that half cup serving is only going to cost you 80 calories and less than a gram of fat," Lyssie says.

"Our ultimate mash potatoes favorite is taking steam cauliflower and you puree it and you use in the place of mash potatoes, and honestly our clients love it, and no one knows the difference and in that half cup serving you get only forty calories and no fat." Hmmm… Well, there’s the stuffing: at 190 calories and 8 grams of fat per a measly half cup.

"But we do have some ways for you to cut down on sodium, the fat and calories, first of all don’t bake your stuffing inside the bird, when you do that all of the fat drips inside the bird and it really raises the calories and the fat level. Do it on the stove top, and in about three to four cup of your chicken broth non fat, low sodium chicken broth and it is really going to keep it moist," Tammy states.

Replace the bread crumbs with vegetables, and you’ll go from 200 calories down to 50 per serving! Lyssie and Tammie also say hold the butter on the veggies. That’ll save you hundreds of calories and dozens of fat grams, literally. Use a butter spray instead, or, butter buds or just use spices which, they say, are the best seasoning of all, like oregano and thyme. And yes, you can have dessert; just don’t overindulge.

"Be sure to allow yourself if there is something like that is have a very small portion of your desired food," argues Lyssie. Cooking the meal Tammie and Lyssie cooked, the traditional way, without dessert, and the same portion size was, for the fattening meal, 1470 calories and 80 grams of fat; for the healthier meal, 419 calories and five grams of fat. Quite a difference. The bottom line: hold the butter and fat, and you’ll have a happy--but not fattening--Thanksgiving!