SHARE: UW Extension Nutrition Update

Bring Light Into Your Holiday Desserts

UW-Extension Update by Dawn O'Shea, Nutrition Educator, Washington County Extension

Don’t make "light" of holiday weight gain.

What Are Your Options?

· Start off the New Year with a resolution to drop the holiday weight you packed on, or
· Resolve during the holidays not to gain extra weight at all, yet enjoy your holiday favorites.
Is that possible? Read on!

The second option, maintaining your weight, is much easier. Maintain your weight and healthy lifestyle by re-inventing the way you prepare and enjoy holiday foods. Eat soup or a piece of fruit before attending family gatherings; you can savor rich holiday delights in sample-size portions and still feel satisfied. Try these other tips:

Change Traditions

Fruit, Fruit, Fruit! SHARE’s Special Dinners for December start you on a healthful journey with fruit. Fruit salad accompanies your turkey dinner. Sliced pineapple from the ham dinner can be placed on the roasting meat. A bowl of appetizing fruits on your buffet table can appease the sweet tooth while providing nutritious, low-fat options. Create fruit-based desserts like oatmeal crumble or angel food cake; fancy them up with a dab of whipped fat-free topping.

Trim Fat in Recipes with Substitutes

Replace These Ingredients	In This Recipe	With These Fat Savers
1 cup fat or oil	Brownies Cakes Quick Breads Muffins Cookies	½ cup applesauce and ½ cup fat or oil
1 cup fat or oil	Ginger Bread Carrot Cake Chocolate-flavored Brownies and Cakes	1/3 cup Prune Puree (see recipe) and 2/3 cup fat or oil
½ cup oil and 2 eggs	Regular (not Lite or Low-fat) Boxed Cake or Brownie Mix	½ cup nonfat yogurt
1 square baking chocolate	Any Recipe for Baked Goods Calling for Unsweetened Baking Chocolate	3 tablespoons cocoa and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Recipe

Prune Puree

What You'll Need
8 oz (1 1/3 cups) pitted prunes
6 tbsp boiling water

Directions
1. Cover 8 ounces (1 1/3 cups) pitted prunes with 6 tablespoons boiling water.
2. Allow prunes to soften for several minutes.
3. Use blender or food processor or mash by hand until smooth. Makes 1 cup. Stores in refrigerator for 1-2 months

Makes 1 cup.

Tips for Light Baking

√ Replace the Eggs
· 2 egg whites = 1 whole egg
· ¼ cup egg white or nonfat egg substitute = 1 whole egg

√ Use Less Sugar
· Reduce sugar by 25% in puddings, sauces, icings and pie fillings.
· Artificial sweetener can replace up to 50% of sugar in most recipes Splenda (sucralose) is recommended as it is heat stable.

√ Lighten Up on the Frosting
· Try dusting your cakes with powdered sugar instead of frosting.
· Heat a quarter of the frosting you would normally use in the microwave and drizzle the melted frosting on top of the cake or dessert.

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