High-Calorie Holiday Foods to Avoid

The holidays are upon us, and for many people, that means spending time with loved ones eating copious amounts of calories. While some people can get away with a couple of days of holiday decadence, many people who are battling chronic diseases or trying to lose weight can’t take the same approach to holiday foods.

If you are trying to eat healthier this holiday season, here are some high-calorie foods to avoid:

Green Bean Casserole

Sure, there’s a vegetable in this dish so you would think it would be healthy, right? Nope. Traditional green bean casserole is loaded with calories. Just one ¾ cup serving contains a whopping 150 calories and 8 grams of fat. A healthier option would be fresh green beans sauteed in a little olive oil or even better, steamed with a little sea salt.

Mashed Potatoes With Giblet Gravy

One of the most popular comfort foods is mashed potatoes with gravy. But just one cup of the potatoes themselves is 238 calories. Now add in a half cup of the gravy and you’re looking at adding another 178 calories to this one side dish! If you simply can’t have your turkey without some potatoes, then just take half the portion you normally would.

Stuffing

This is a go-to Thanksgiving side dish made from bread, which means not only is it high in calories, but high in carbs as well. A half cup serving of stuffing contains roughly 175 calories, 22 grams of carbs, and 550 milligrams of sodium. Yikes! And remember, that’s just half a cup. How many of us load up and then go back for seconds or thirds? Best to avoid this dish altogether.

Eggnog

When you look at the ingredients in eggnog, you quickly see why it is a holiday beverage to avoid. Whole milk, cream, sugar, eggs and brandy means a one-cup serving comes with a whopping 350 calories! And equally bad, you’ll be taking in 21 grams of sugar!

Avoid eggnog this season and opt for a glass of wine or spirits instead.

This is obviously not an exhaustive list of holiday foods to avoid, but these are some of the biggest culprits. While it may be hard to be disciplined, it really is in your best interest if you are trying to lose weight or have diabetes or high blood pressure.

SOURCES:

https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-naughty-list-of-holiday-foods

https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/healthy-holidays/8-high-calorie-holiday-foods-to-avoid

https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy/packages/healthy-every-week/healthy-tips/the-holiday-foods-nutritionists-avoid