Heart Healthy Ideas for Christmas

Traditional Christmas menus include heavy servings of butter and other dairy products high in saturated fat, a reliance on sugar for desserts, and more salt than is recommended for an average diet. There are several healthy Christmas holiday recipes that remove these ingredients from dishes without sacrificing flavor or being obviously healthy. Because holidays are seen as celebratory events, no one wants to feel deprived or like they are still on a diet during Christmas dinner. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Christmas Brunch

Make the meal lighter by having a holiday brunch instead of a heavy evening meal. Focus on foods like crust-less quiches, scrambled eggs and light cheese and low-fat meat poured and baked in a muffin tin. Salads are also good for brunch, like leafy greens with low-fat dressing or fruit salad with pecans and fat-free yogurt dressing. Grapefruit or other fruits topped with stewed cranberries and cinnamon add that spicy holiday taste without all the calories and fat.

Healthy Holiday Drink Substitutes

Traditional egg nog is high in saturated fat from the full-fat dairy mixed with egg yolks. The flavor of egg nog can be found by making the drink with skim milk, less yolks and more spice, or by flavoring other drinks and shakes with nutmeg and cinnamon. A low-fat egg nog shake can be made by blending low-fat vanilla ice cream with fat-free whipped topping, skim milk and nutmeg. Substitute all the calories and possible negative effects of alcoholic beverages by mixing unsweetened apple juice and lemon juice with club soda for mock champagne.

Healthier Turkey

A roasted turkey is still a good option for the centerpiece of a healthy Christmas meal, especially if it is not stuffed with buttery breadcrumbs and basted in its own drippings. Roast a turkey on a rack so the fat drips off the bird before you eat it. Remove the skin from the turkey before eating it to save on fat, and opt for more white meat than dark.

Cutting Back on Sugar

Sugar is a major ingredient in most holiday desserts. Sugar adds unwanted calories and can also have a negative effect on people with blood sugar sensitivity. Try serving fruits, like baked and spiced apples, instead of heavy cakes. If you make bread pudding, substitute instant sugar-free pudding for the traditional egg yolk heavy custards. Serve desserts, like a tort or a cheesecake, that are so dense and rich a little slice goes further than a handful of frosted sugar cookies.