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Today's Food

The Best and Worst Holiday Foods

 

 

 

8. Worst Classic Holiday Drink: Egg Nog

350 calories, 19 g fat, 22 g sugars

With or without added liquor, it's no surprise egg nog is on the "naughty" list: the primary ingredients are milk, cream, and eggs. Hot chocolate is just as tasty with nearly one-third of the calories. But beware, cups of hot chocolate from national outlets like Starbucks and Caribou Coffee can be twice as treacherous as the homemade version. Blame excessive serving sizes and heavy dollops of full-fat milk and thick and caloric whipped cream. Stick with the homemade hot chocolate, instead.

Drink This Instead!

Hot Chocolate

120 calories
4 g fat
15 g sugars

 

 

7. Worst Holiday Appetizer: Crab Cakes

400 calories, 19 g fat

This is what happens when poor, defenseless crab is bound in mayo, rolled in breadcrumbs, and dropped into a vat of bubbling fat: you end up with a single, calamitous cake that packs more calories than three dozen shrimp. (As bad as it may be, it has nothing on some of the appetizers being served at chain restaurants all year long.) Opt for the crustacean cocktail, but keep your dipping under wraps; most cocktail sauces are light in calories, but loaded with sodium.

Eat This Instead!

Shrimp Cocktail (12 shrimp)

165 calories, 1 g fat

 

6. Worst Holiday Party Cocktail: Gin and Tonic

210 calories, 22 g sugars

You may be shocked to see the light-tasting G&T on this list, but the sad truth is that tonic water contains more than 20 grams of sugar per 8-oz serving, making it nothing more than a glorified 7 Up. Champagne is just as bubbly but contains only one-fourth of the sugar—plus, you can't look classier than you do holding a champagne flute, right?

Drink This Instead!

Champagne

100 calories, 5 g sugars

 

5. Worst Holiday Party Snack: Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

285 calories, 17 g fat (11 g saturated)

Looking at your Aunt Debbie's recipe for spinach and artichoke dip, you might get confused. Aside from, well, spinach and artichokes, the ingredient list reads like a roll call of the worst offenders out there: mayonnaise, sour cream and cream cheese, not to mention whatever other cheeses Deb likes to throw in to make it hers. And that's without the chips or hulking hunks of bread. Limit yourself to one chip's worth and fill the rest of your snack plate with something healthier, like the classic Italian appetizer, prosciutto-wrapped melon balls.

Eat This Instead!

Melon Balls Wrapped in Prosciutto

100 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated)

 

4. Worst Holiday Side: Baked potato w/ butter and sour cream

400 calories, 14 g fat (6 g saturated)

The difference here is in the toppings—add bacon and cheese to the mix, and add an extra 150 calories. Another smart sides rule: Not all salads are paragons of virtue. Greens with croutons and Italian dressing pack in 140 more calories than a serving of peas with pearl onions.

Eat This Instead!

Roasted red potatoes (1/2 cup)

100  calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated)

 

3. Worst Holiday Entrée: Prime Rib

750 calories, 45 g fat

The only thing prime about the prime rib is the price you pay for eating it. This coveted holiday cut comes from one of the fattiest parts of the cow, which explains the thick rim of greasy stuff you must saw through to get to the meat. In fact, you can pretty much guarantee that any time you see the word “prime” on a menu, you’ll be ordering an extra 50 to 100 calories over the next dish, easily. Beef tenderloin is just as tasty with just a small fraction of the calories and fat.

Eat This Instead!

Beef Tenderloin

165 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated)

 

2. Worst Holiday Dessert: Pecan Pie a la Mode

810 calories , 65 g fat, 55 g sugars

In the wide world of holiday pies, nothing is worse than a slice of pecan. True, some of the fat is healthy fat from the nuts. Most of these calories, though, come from the filling, which is a sickly-sweet sludge of corn syrup and sugar. Fondue, in comparison, is a fun and relatively healthy way to splurge after a big meal. Angel food cake makes an ideal dipper: light, low in calories, and-because it's made with egg whites-virtually fat-free. Use fruit instead and you'll save even more calories.

Eat This Instead!

Chocolate Fondue

340 calories, 10 g fat, 28 g sugars

1. Worst Holiday Beer: Sam Adams Holiday Porter

211 calories, 13 g carbohydrates, 6% alcohol

Winter-themed beers tend to be heavier and higher in alcohol content, so it's no surprise that Sam's seasonal brew is loaded with extra calories. But there are too many quality low-calorie cervezas to ever mess with one that cracks the dubious 200-calorie threshold. Downgrade to Sam Adams Light and you'll save 87 calories a pop-no small amount when you consider how much beer some people put down during the holiday season. For more on cutting liquid calories during the winter season, check out our list of the Worst Holiday Drinks.

Drink This Instead!

Sam Adams Light

124 calories, 9 g carbohydrates, 4.2% alcohol