Cutting Calories From Holiday Meals

Holiday dishes are typically calorie-bombs, but they don’t have to be. The Food Network’s Sandra Lee shares tips on how to shave calories off a few holiday favorites – without sacrificing flavor.

Start your meal off right with a simple, healthy appetizer, like vegetable crudités, Lee recommended. For dips, use light versions of sour cream, yogurt and mayonnaise, rather than the full-fat versions.

For the main course, whether it’s turkey, ham or a roast, Lee said it’s important to be smart about seasonings. Try low-sodium Worcestershire sauce or packaged dried herb combinations, like a peppercorn mixture, which are also low in salt.

To cut down on fat, prepare stuffing by itself instead of cooking it inside the turkey.

When it comes to side dishes, Lee’s hard and fast rule is to stay away from butter.

“Think about something like light sour cream with a little bit of fresh lemon juice in there and also some grated parmesan,” Lee said. “It is phenomenal. You will not know that you are eating anything healthy.”

The best part about cooking a healthy dinner? It makes it OK to indulge during dessert. So kick back, and enjoy that slice of pie.