It is the most wonderful time of the year — Christmas! As many embrace the spirit of the season, a popular activity is making festive desserts. From decorating cookies for Santa to baking traditional fruitcake, this is the time that families develop a sweet tooth.
***While these desserts look and taste good, it is important to eat them in moderation. This is because they are high in calories and fat content. These treats are also packed with sugar. For example, one chocolate chip cookie has 14 grams of sugar. This is more than half of the 24 grams of sugar recommended daily for women and more than a third of the 36 grams recommended for men. To minimize your fat, sugar, and calorie consumption, try these healthier alternatives to classic holiday treats!
The first alternative treat is Chocolate Covered Popcorn. This family favorite dessert is low in calories and takes only five minutes to make. Check out the recipe below (Adapted from Chocolate Covered Popcorn).
Ingredients
- 1 package microwave popcorn
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ¼ teaspoon oil of choice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Pop popcorn. See the package for directions.
- Once the popcorn is popped, spread it out on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt.
- Melt chocolate and oil until smooth. Drizzle the mixture on the popcorn using a spoon.
- Cool popcorn at room temperature for 30 minutes.
A second alternative to high-calorie Christmas favorites is Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Compared to traditional chocolate chip, peanut butter, and gingerbread cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies are lower in calories. See below for a tasty oatmeal raisin cookie recipe (Adapted from The Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies {Recipe Video!}).
Ingredients
- 1 cup instant oats
- ¾ cup flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup raisins
Instructions
-
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Mix the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix the butter, egg, and vanilla. Add in the honey or maple syrup.
- Add in the flour mixture and fold in the raisins.
- Put the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Shape the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto a cookie sheet and flatten slightly.
- Bake at 325°F for 11-14 minutes.
What other alternatives have you tried to high-calorie holiday snacks? Share with us below in the comments section.
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great content. Thank you.