How to Make Holiday Cooking a Little Lighter

Tis’ the season to indulge, but who says it can’t be done with some moderation? Between the baked goods and the festive family meals, we tend to cheat on our fruits and vegetables with sugar overload.

This season, keep from over-indulging by simply finding substitutions in your favorite recipes. Use plain yogurt for sour cream, oats for bread crumbs, and almond beverage for high-fat dairy. These are just a few easy swaps you can make in your recipes that won’t sacrifice taste, but will leave you feeling a little less guilty.

Here are five tips to lighten your delicious holiday recipes this season:

1. Always choose whole grain options by adding whole-wheat flour in your baking and using whole-grain pasta in your recipes.

2. Make smart ingredient swaps. To get a nutty flavor, for example, substitute in almond beverage. Almond Breeze tells us that cup of their chilled Unsweetened Original beverage contains only 30 calories – and it’s delicious.

3. Challenge yourself to eat-the-season by using ingredients that are winter fresh. Chat with your local grocery provider for a fresh in-season alternative.

4. When playing bartender, soda water is a much lighter alternative to tonic water. Or try adding freshly sliced citrus fruits to your flat and sparkling water for added taste. Increased water consumption keeps you from filling up on other calorie-laden drinks.

5. Be generous to others. If you’ve done a lot of baking for a special night or occasion send your guests home with the left over sweets so you aren’t tempted to overeat.

More information and cooking inspiration can be found at www.almondbreeze.ca.

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