Holiday Temptations

It's coming - the yummy meal for Thanksgiving and desserts you typically don't include in your every day diet. These are some ways to make holiday baking a bit healthier, without feeling deprived. Found a great article that I wanted to share, for those of you that get to cook next week - hope you enjoy it!

When cooking Bread Puddings and Fruit Breads:

Use This: Mini-muffin pans
Not That: Souffle' or baking dishes - it's automatic portion control!
Just don't forget to adjust baking time :)

In puddings and Pudding Pie Fillings:

Use This: 2% Milk
Not That: Heavy cream. This swap saves 700 calories per cup (about an hour and a 1/2 of high cardio boot camp!!!) It will still have a nice, rich body, but so much less fat

In Fruit Pies:

Use This: Half the Sugar
Not That: All the sugar. For every cup of sugar you don't use, you will save 744 calories (Approx 1 hr and 40 mins of boot camp!!). It doesn't change the chemistry of the pie, so you can go as low in sugar as you like.

In Cookies and Crusts:

Use This: Half whole-wheat pastry flour and half all-purpose flour.
Not That: Just all-purpose flour. Whole wheat has 12 grams of filling fiber in every cup.

In Brownies, Chocolate Cake and Fudge:

Use This: Three tablespoons of cocoa powder
Not That: One ounce of baking chocolate. Substituting cocoa powder peels off 85 calories and 13 grams of fat!

In Cheesecake:

Use This: Part-skim ricotta cheese
Not That: Cream Cheese. You'll double the amount of hungar fighting protein and cut the fat by close to 60 grams for each cup you use. It's much less heavy and caloric than cream cheese

In Brownies, Cakey Cookies and Fruit Breads:

Use This: Pureed Pumpkin
Not That: Oil. Pumpkin Puree keeps baked goods deliciously moist, and for every 1/2 cup you sub out, you'll save more than 900 calories (Approx 1 hr 45 mins boot camp!!) and 100 grams of fat!!!

- Article from Womens Health - Dec 2009