Parul Kharod
With the approach of the festival season, the winter months are often packed with high fat and high sugar foods. Often our smorgasbord starts during Navratri, Diwali and extends to family reunions during Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Add in the office holiday parties and it stretches into a three-month feast.
So let’s talk about healthy holiday eating.
First of all, it is always advisable to eat what is in season. There are some foods available in during the months of fall and winter that are chockfull of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Apples: A very good source of Dietary Fiber and Vitamin C, apples are perfect as a snack with peanut butter. Add chopped apples to oatmeal or a salad. Add an apple to dal while cooking for a unique flavor.
• Butternut Squash: Roast it or bake it, add it to dal/sambhar or make soup with it. Butternut squash is a good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium and Magnesium, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium and Manganese.
• Cranberries: Cranberries are a good source of Vitamin E and Vitamin K, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C and Manganese. Use them in baking or add them to salad or make chutney.
• Greens: Green vegetables such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, mustard greens, bok choy, and broccoli are nature’s pharmacy for preventing many chronic diseases. They are high in Dietary Fiber, and rich in Folic acid, Vitamin C, Potassium and Magnesium. They contain bioflavonoids like Quercetin, and phytochemicals such as Lutein, Beta-Cryptoxanthin, Zeaxanthin, and Beta-Carotene. Green vegetables are also a major source of Iron and Calcium. Use a variety of greens in dal, sabzi, salad and soups.
• Pomegranates: Eat the seeds as a snack, sprinkle them on a salad, or mix with plain yogurt to make raita. Pomegranates are a good source of Dietary Fiber and Folate, and a very good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K.
• Pumpkin: Pumpkins are good source of Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Riboflavin, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. Use it in soup or sambhar. Make bread with it or add pumpkin puree to pancake batter. There are also many variations of pumpkin sabzi.
• Sweet potatoes: The American dark orange variety of sweet potatoes are a good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin B6, Potassium and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin A. Add to sabzi and curries instead of white potato to get in more nutrients. Add to bean soups for a nice creamy texture.
Since this season also brings its fair share of colds and coughs, be sure to include spices and seasonings that help prevent and treat many minor discomforts of congestion and sore throat. Make herbal teas and also use liberally in cooking.
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Cumin
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Honey
• Lemon
• Mint leaves
• Nutmeg
• Tulsi leaves, if available
• Turmeric
If you do go to holiday events, here are some tips to stay healthy during the festive season. You do not have to stay away from all the treats. A good strategy is mindful eating.
• If you are at a buffet table, first check out everything, decide what you like most, and then take small bite size portions of all your favorite foods.
• Never go to a party when you are really hungry. Eat a healthy snack or a small meal at home before you go to avoid overeating. Also skipping meals to “save room for later” is not a good idea either.
• Slow down. Savor each bite. This will help you enjoy the foods and eat less.
• Balance your plate. Don’t fill a plate with high calorie appetizers and dessert.
• Drink water. Keep in mind that drinks like punches and eggnog can add a lot of calories, so just have a small serving. Alcohol can induce overeating, too.
• Plan time for exercise. Involve family and friends in playing outdoor games, or go for a walk.
• Eat till you are full, not stuffed. Be mindful and listen to your body.
• If you do overeat at one meal, make the next meal lighter.
Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
• 1 medium size butternut squash, peeled and cut into big chunks
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 3-4 Roma tomatoes, halved
• 1 red bell pepper, halved and seeded
• 3-4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
• ½ teaspoon cloves powder
• salt and black pepper to taste
Method
1. In a flat glass baking pan, place all the vegetables from the butternut squash to garlic. Add the oil and coat the vegetables.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes in a pre-heated oven. Bake till the vegetables are tender.
3. Let cool.
4. Put the roasted vegetables in a blender. Add water as needed to puree the soup. The soup should be thick and not too watery.
5. Put the soup through a fine sieve to remove tomato seeds and any other undigestible fibers and to make the soup smooth.
6. Heat the soup in a pot. Add the dry spices. Let cook on medium for about 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.
— Parul Kharod, MS, RD, LDN is a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist and works as a Clinical Dietitian with Outpatient Nutrition Services at WakeMed Hospital in Cary and Raleigh. She can be reached at [email protected]
Posted: Monday, November 7, 2016
