Holidays are a time for celebration, but they are often correlated with overconsumption. It can be easy to eat in excess during the holidays and splurge on foods that may not be the best choice for our health.
Here is a list of holiday foods to avoid or to eat in moderation this holiday season:
Swedish Meatballs
Tiny and tasty, but white bread, butter, heavy cream, and a high sodium beef broth in each ball. High in fat and depending on size, a Swedish meatball may have 400 calories per ball.
Pecan Pie
Pecans are healthy, but you have just said goodbye to their benefits when you combine the sugar, butter, and corn syrup. A single slice of pecan pie is usually more than 500 calories, with over 35 grams of fat and more than 25 grams of sugar.
Candied Yams
Yams are full of vitamins and fiber, but the candied yam is another beast. A single serving of candied yams may add over 35 grams of sugar and around 400 calories to your plate.
Green Bean Casserole with Fried Onions
Green beans are healthy. So are onions! But when you make this casserole, all the nutritional goodness is tossed out. The casserole contains nearly 800 calories and over 4,000 milligrams of sodium.
Hot Buttered Rum
This holiday drink sounds terrific for warming up with family, but you add over 300 calories to your evening. Plus, add in 13 grams of fat and 40 milligrams of cholesterol. That is 1/7th of the USDAβs recommended daily intake.
Stuffed Potatoes
Baked potatoes are great for vitamin C and fiber, but by adding in cheese, sour cream, and butter, you have reduced all the health benefits. One medium stuffed potato has more than 310 calories and more than 8 grams of saturated fat. That is nearly half of your suggested limit of saturated fat.
Vegetable Egg Rolls
Many veggie egg rolls contain between 150 to 200 calories per roll. Plus, they are covered in oil and salt and usually deep-fried β which adds to the problems caused by eating them.
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Hidden in this dip are many calories and a lot of fat. Just a 1/4 cup of dip has more than 200 calories and more than 20 grams of fat. If you add tortilla chips, the caloric content goes up by over 300 calories.
Pigs in a Blanket
If you think there canβt be too many calories because they are so small and cute, you will be surprised. On average, each pig in a blanket has 70 calories and 5 grams of fat. Itβs hard to eat just one or two, so be careful.
Mixed Nuts
We all know that nuts are a great way to stay healthy, but many mixed-nut packages come with candy-coated cashews or roasted and salt-laden peanuts. Adding a handful during a holiday party can quickly add up to 340 calories.
