The reality is that holiday weight gain is slight. According to a study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, the average adult gains only one pound during the holiday season. But the bad news is that this extra weight tends to accumulate year after year and can contribute to the so-called middle age spread.
Holiday eating is a small snapshot in the big picture. It's what you do from January through November that really determines your weight. Even though holiday weight gain is less than often reported, you still need to make careful choices -- and exercise portion control -- to minimize the damage. The calories you save by making smarter choices at holiday parties can really add up over the month of December.
Okay, let's start with hors d'ouevres…what the worst?
There are a few winners in the worst category. Remember that these little bites add up quickly – especially when it's so easy to pop back a few at a time.
Worst choice: Swedish meatballs
Have one of these if you must, but stop there. Just six of these mini meatballs packs 260 calories, 20 grams of fat and 540 milligrams of sodium. What's more, half the fat in these mini sausage rolls is the cholesterol-raising type.
Smarter picks: Chicken satay, sushi and shrimp with cocktail sauce are your best bets. One Chicken satay with peanut sauce has 117 calories and only 3.5 grams of fat. Five shrimp with cocktail sauce has only 57 calories and half a gram of fat. And one piece of sushi has 50 to 70 calories depending on what you choose.
What about a holiday cocktail – what's your worst choice?
Worst choice: Spiked eggnog
One cup of traditional eggnog punch delivers 400 calories and 20 grams of fat! That's the same amount of calories and fat as two glazed donuts! And half the fat comes from artery-clogging saturated fat.
Smarter pick: Champagne
If you want a festive cocktail that's considerably lower in calories, opt for a glass of champagne. A 4 ounce glass has only 70 calories – almost one-sixth of the calories in eggnog. And it's fat free.
Let's move on to the holiday buffet – what are the best and worst main course?
Worst choice: Prime rib
Prime rib is loaded with fat and calories. A 6 ounce serving of prime rib has 630 calories and 40 grams of fat – two thirds of a day's worth of fat for women. This has the same amount of fat – and only a few less calories than a McDonald's Double Big Mac.
Smarter pick: Turkey
There's no question that turkey is your best holiday main course. A six ounce serving of turkey breast has 200 calories and only 5 grams of fat. Even the dark meat is a much better choice -- a six ounce serving has roughly 350 calories and 15 grams of fat.
What are your do's and dont's for side dishes?
Worst choice: Candied yams
Thanks to the added sugar and fat in most recipes, a one cup serving of this traditional side can have 350 to 450 calories and 40 grams of sugar (10 teaspoons worth).
Smarter pick: Mashed potatoes
Of course a baked sweet potato is your best choice, but I haven't been to any holiday dinner parties where they're served. So if you have a choice between potato sides, believe it or not you're better off choosing mashed potatoes. If you choose a smaller portion – half cup – you're getting 126 calories and 7 grams of fat and no added sugar.
If you're indulging your sweet tooth, which holiday dessert should you choose?
Worst pick: Pecan Pie
A typical slice of this nutty dessert will set you back 500 calories, 27 grams of fat and 15 teaspoons worth of sugar. If you top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream you'll be eating 650 calories.
Smarter pick: Pumpkin Pie
For a lower calorie option, choose pumpkin pie. One slice has half the calories (230 calories), half the fat (14 grams) and considerable less sugar (4 teaspoons worth). A slice of pumpkin pie also offers more calcium than pecan pie and it delivers half your daily vitamin A.
