Tips for Surviving the Holidays

Tips for Surviving the Holidays
By Susan Knapp, MS RD CSR LD

We all know that food is much more than just the nutrients that it contains. Holidays are a time when we are surrounded by food even more than usual. Certain traditional and cultural foods are associated with special occasions. Food is also often used to show love and gratitude. It is given as gifts or to celebrate special occasions. Although it can be difficult, following your diet during the holidays will help you to be able to feel your best. This in turn should help you to more fully enjoy the holidays. You don't want to have to make a visit to the emergency room or hospital because of poor food choices or drinking in excess. It is important to realize that the more you learn about and understand your diet, the better you can apply it to every day and special occasions. Enlist the help of others-your family and friends. Keeping food records can help you keep track of what you have had & therefore what you have left in your diet allowance.

Some party tips:

WISE CHOICES AT SPECIAL MEALS

Choose: Instead of:
Roast beef, steak, brisket, hamburgers, roast pork, baked or grilled chicken, baked or grilled fish, turkey Ham, bologna, lunchmeats, fried chicken, fried fish, hotdogs, cocktail wieners
On the side -  using as little as possible, Vinegar or lemon juice for salad dressing, Cranberry sauce Sauces and gravies
Rice, noodles or bread dressing Potatoes, sweet potatoes
Dinner rolls, white, French or Italian bread Biscuits, cornbread
Green beans, Corn, carrots Barbecued beans, Pork n beans, Ham & beans
Coleslaw, pasta salad, macaroni salad, lettuce salad Potato salad
Deviled eggs, Raw celery, cucumber, carrot sticks
 Olives, pickles, cheese cubes or cheese slices
Fruit pie or cobbler, lemon meringue pie, cheesecake,  strawberries, grapes Pecan pie, cream pie, pumpkin pie, mincemeat pie
Sorbet, Italian ices, sherbet Ice cream, ice milk
Plain cookies, Angelfood cake, plain cake, lemon bars, pastel mints, hard candy Fudge, brownies, fruit cake, chocolates, nuts
Hot apple cider, hot tea Eggnog, Hot cocoa

Holiday Recipes


Roast Pork Loin
1 small boneless pork loin, about 2 pounds, trimmed of excess fat
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crumbled
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
4 Tablespoons canola oil
1 cup apple juice

Place pork in small roasting pan. In a small bowl, make a rub of garlic, ginger, and rosemary. Rub mixture over pork. Mix the lemon juice, oil, and apple juice and pour over the roast. Cover, refrigerate and marinate for about an hour. Pour off and reserve marinade. Return about cup of the marinade to the pan with the pork roast. Place in 400-degree oven and roast for approximately 75 minutes, basting every 15 to 20 minutes with marinade. Remove from oven; cool about 10 minutes to slice. Combine the marinade from the pan plus the leftover marinade and bring to a boil (thickening with a little cornstarch, if desired).

Yield: 8 servings
Suggested use in diet: 1 serving = 3 ounces of meat + 1 medium potassium fruit
Nutrient Information:
Approximate analysis per serving:
Calories: 486 kcal
Protein: 22.5 grams
Fat: 42 grams
Carbohydrate: 5 grams
Sodium: 59 mg
Potassium: 459 mg
Phosphorus: 229 mg

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

6 large (4 ounce each) baking potatoes, peeled and leached *
2 whole fresh garlic bulbs
cup liquid non-dairy creamer
stick unsalted margarine
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cut the tops off the whole garlic bulb to expose the cloves. Brush the top with oil and sprinkle with the herbs. In a small baking dish (with cover), place the whole garlic bulbs with tops cut off. Place the bottom down in the baking dish. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil and herbs. Bake covered 1 hour in 375 F oven. Remove from oven and let cool. Squeeze out the garlic cloves and smash.
  2. In a medium-sized saucepan, boil the leached potatoes until tender and drain. Do not overcook. Add the smashed garlic cloves, liquid non-dairy creamer, margarine and mix quickly into the potatoes with a hand mixer while still hot.

*Leaching potatoes can remove as much as 1/3 to 1/2 of the potassium content of the potatoes. Here is a method to leach the potassium out of potatoes:
1. Peel and slice potatoes into small pieces.
2. Place potatoes into large bowl filled with water. Use at least 5 cups of water for every cup of potatoes.
3. Soak at least 2 hours.
4. Drain well. Rinse potatoes and then cook as desired.

Yield 8 servings.
Suggested use in diet: 1 serving = 1 starch + 1 high potassium vegetable + 2 fat
Nutrient Information:
Approximate analysis per serving:
Calories:290 kcal
Protein:3.3 grams
Sodium:21 mg
Potassium:301 mg
Phosphorus: 84 mg

Recipe & analysis from iKidney.com

Oven Roasted Carrots
1 pound baby carrots
1 medium-sized onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, peeled & cut in half
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Place carrots, onions, and garlic in a greased 15” x 10” X 1” baking pan. Drizzle the oil and vinegar over the top. Sprinkle with thyme & pepper. Toss to coat. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Stir. Bake uncovered for an additional 20 minutes, or until carrots are crisp-tender, stirring after 10 minutes.

Serves 8.
Suggested use in diet: 1 serving = 1 high potassium vegetable
Nutrient information:
Approximate analysis per serving:
Calories: 50 kcal
Protein: 0.9 grams
Fat: 2 grams
Carbohydrate: 8 grams
Sodium: 21 mg
Potassium: 224 mg
Phosphorus: 34 mg
Holiday Pears
2 cans (29 oz.) pear halves, drained
1 can (16 oz.) whole-berry cranberry sauce
cup sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place pears with cut side up in a 13 X 8” square (greased) glass dish. Combine cranberry sauce, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in microwave, stirring every minute until sugar is dissolved and mixture is heated through, approximately 5 minutes. Spoon over pears. Heat thoroughly in the microwave (about 6 minutes) or 350-degree oven (about 30 minutes).

Yield: 12 servings
Suggested use in diet: 1 serving = 1 low potassium fruit + 1 high calorie choice
Nutrient information:
Approximate analysis per serving:
Calories: 161 kcal
Protein: 0.3 grams
Fat: 0.2 grams
Carbohydrate: 42 grams
Sodium: 18 mg
Potassium: 90 mg
Phosphorus: 11 mg

Old-Fashioned Plum Torte
Serves 12

1/4 pound (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour, sifted
teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoons vinegar
2 eggs
6 large purple plums cut into quarters
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon or more, to taste

  1. Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cream the butter and the 3/4 cup of sugar. Add the flour, baking soda, vinegar, and eggs and beat to mix well. Spoon the batter into a greased 8 or 9-inch pan. Cover the top with the plums, skin sides down. Mix the cinnamon with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle over the top.
  3. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Loosen edges & remove from pan, turning over twice so plum side is facing up. Refrigerate or freeze if desired.
  4. Serve cold, or let the torte return to room temperature and reheat at 300 degrees until warm. If desired, top with whipped cream.

Yield: 12 servings
Suggested use in diet: = 1 starch + 1 low potassium fruit + 4 high calorie choices
Not recommended for diabetics
Nutrient information:
Approximate analysis per serving:
Calories: 569 kcal
Protein: 1.8 grams
Fat: 9 grams
Carbohydrate: 125 grams
Sodium: 153 mg
Potassium: 106 mg
Phosphorus: 27 mg

http://www.nat.uiuc.edu/mynat/ used for analysis of above recipes.
 
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