HOW TO END YOUR HOLIDAY FEAST WITH A SMILE: Seven Slimmed-Down Holiday Desserts (under 150 calories each!) and a Bountiful Bonus of Low-Calorie Beverages Too
During the holiday season it is all too easy to get distracted and stressed out by the many pressures to select gifts, mail out greeting cards, finalize travel plans, shop for special groceries and a myriad of other tasks that can deplete energy and lead to negative thoughts. It doesn’t have to be that way though. As a very dear new friend recently reminded me with a shared inspirational message: when you have your priorities established correctly, then you can focus on the positive, uplifting aspect of the impending celebration season.
Three key words brought the situation into focus for me: HOPE, PEACE and JOY. With hope there is a reason for everyday optimism, even in stressful, pressure-filled or discouraging times, and with hope there then comes peace. Peace of mind and of spirit will lead to the joy which we desperately need in these days. I am forever grateful for the joy in my life … never more so than during the holidays. I wish wholeheartedly for hope, peace and joy in your life, too, throughout the rest of this year and into the coming months as well. Happy, HAPPY holidays to you and your loved ones!
Holiday Desserts
To finish this series on healthy meals, let’s look at a variety of holiday desserts — seven of them, one for each day of the week. And because none of these recipes will supply more than 150 calories per serving, yes, you can have the whole week’s worth without doing damage to your diet plan. Just remember: limit yourself to a single serving and then you will be able to enjoy a nice variety including cookies, embellished fruit options and even special “better-for-you” brownies.
Recipes – All Under 150 Calories!
Holiday Strawberries Filled with Banana Cream
Craving the flavor of decadent strawberry cheesecake? To avoid hundreds of excessive calories, try these festive, delicious stuffed strawberries instead. They are easy to make and require only a few ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand. Here’s the best news: you can eat all eight of them and still keep your indulgence under 150 calories.
Starry, Starry Night (Orange-Coconut Cookies)
Festive holiday cookies to bring the winter stars right to your celebration table for holiday desserts — and, with less butter, sugar and eggs, deliver no more than 150 calories in three whole cookies (and for variety: two additional ways to change up the basic dough and produce entirely different cookies from the very same recipe).
At less than 100 calories per serving, this light, fruity dessert can appear often on your celebration table. Try substituting different fruits and switching gelatin flavors. You can even improvise a color scheme that will reflect the very best of the holiday season.
More Slimmed-Down Holiday Desserts
Lower in fat than a traditional recipe (this recipe calls for low-fat milk, fewer eggs and a reduced amount of sugar and butter), these brownies get their rich flavor from a combination of cocoa and dark chocolate.
Light and fluffy, this fresh-tasting dessert can serve as the perfect ending to your holiday feast without weighing down your guests. Afterwards how about a snowball contest outside to get everybody moving again? Or, maybe build and decorate a holiday snowman instead?
Warm-You-Right-Up Spiced Peach Dessert
An easy-to-fix, nicely spiced fruit dessert that is guaranteed to warm the cockles of your heart even on the coldest winter night.
Paper-Thin Individual Fruit Pies
These crisp pastry shells, filled with fruit and glazed with apricot jelly, offer an excellent, flavorful (but low-fat and low-calorie!) option to replace extravagant holiday pies, cakes and baked puddings.
Beverages
When selecting a beverage for enjoyment and relaxation, consider a variety of tea options (herbal or conventional). They and coffee choices will add no calories whatsoever to your meal. Have on hand low-calorie sweeteners and lighteners as alternatives to sugar and heavy cream. As another hot beverage choice, 100-Calorie Cocoa offers a flavorful, warming way to ward off Old Man Winter.
100-Calorie Hot Chocolate Drink
Sparkling water or flavored seltzer will offer a zero-calorie beverage. You can add a festive note to any party setting. Just dress it up with a slice of lemon or a wedge of lime. If you opt for a celebration toast with “real” wine, consider Prosecco or Brut Champagne. Either one will weigh in at less than 130 calories for a standard pour.
* * *
Sincere wishes for the very best holiday ever! Relax, enjoy your guests and appreciate the blessings of this season. Then plan to come back after your New Year celebration Look for a whole new series then. Find the spotlight focused on benefits of various herbs and supplements. You can make a positive impact on your wellness in the months to come. Happy, happy holidays!!!