Holiday Foods That We Should Try To Avoid

With Thanksgiving just days away, everyone is getting ready for their Thanksgiving meal. My job today is to swing by Greenberg and pick up a turkey. I did my shopping at the grocery store yesterday, loading up on cornbread for the dressing, eggs for those delicious deviled eggs, green beans and the list goes on and on. This year, my family and I decided to have a simpler menu and try and avoid the foods that we really just don't need. Now don't get me wrong, we will still have some desserts, just not as many.

I don't want to be a downer, just trying to keep us all healthier, so when I came across this article about seven foods we should all try and avoid during the holidays, I thought I would pass it along to you guys.

Pigs in a Blanket

They may small and cute, but at 66 calories each, these little piggies can really add up. They're loaded with artery-clogging saturated fat and cancer-causing nitrates. A better appetizer suggestion is half a cup of steamed or boiled shrimp, a satisfying app  that contains a 100 calories with virtually no fat. Watch the cocktail sauce, cause that's where the calories are.

Not So Skinny Dipping

Chips and dip are dangerous because we tend to you eat them mindlessly. Before you know it, you've snacked away on hundreds of calories and too many grams of unhealthy hydrogenated fats. If you like to munch on crunchy apps, try a healthy veggie tray full of carrots, snow peas, pepper rings, broccoli floret and more. If you must dip - dip in a light dressing or hummus.

Eggnog

I fell out of my chair when I read that a slim glass of eggnog contains as many calories as 3 glasses of wine: 343. That's not all, there's nearly 12 grams of fat and 22 grams of sugar. I don't drink wine, but you would be saving yourself a ton of calories plus get the benefits with the antioxidant benefits from the wine's phytochemicals, if you just drank the glass of wine.

Stuffing

A simple bread stuffing is already has 178 calories per cup. But if you add sausage, like some people do, your adding an additional hundred calories and a ton of fat. So hold the extras and save your calories for something your taste buds are more likely to notice.

Sweet Potatoes with butter, sugar and marshmallows

When you take sweet potatoes, which are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber, and you drench them in butter and sugar and bake them, you pretty much kill their nutritional value and turn them into a dieter's nightmare. You're better off sticking with mashed potatoes, which, at 118 calories per serving, have half the calories and less fat. Or, zap a sweet potato in the microwave then dab on a smidge of butter, sprinkle on a pinch of cinnamon and top with a marshmallow.

Dark Meat Turkey

I know a lot of folks love the dark meat of the turkey, but guys, just 3 little ounces is close to 200 calories and a double whammy of saturated fat. Not only is the skin a major source of fat, but dark meat in general has the highest fat content in the entire bird. If you must have the dark meat, just make sure you you take the skin off. Better yet, stick with light meat, which is significantly lower in fat and has just 114 calories for the same-sized serving.

Pie

Here's one time where tradition wins out. Pumpkin pie is a better choice than either pecan or apple. One slice of pecan pie contains a whopping 780 calories; apple pie, about 415. Pumpkin pie will only set you back about 350 calories, and that's if you splurge on a dollop of whipped cream to top it off.