The holidays are in motion and I couldn’t be more excited to celebrate since my little one is finally here. The caveat is that I need to get back into shape just in time for the summer. So, this year instead of stuffing my face full of stuffing, I’m going to take a smarter approach and make sure to avoid certain foods.
No, these aren’t your super obvious choices either, these are the sneaky ones that are clearly veggies and fruits but are packed with sugar and... you guessed it, salt! Check out this list of 5 unhealthy holiday foods to avoid:
1. Canned Cranberry Sauce
Cranberries are tasty and are a rich source of several vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C. However, typical canned cranberry sauce has 105 grams of sugar per serving, over four times the amount the AHA recommends per day for women. It also adds over 400 calories to your plate. So, you’ve been warned!
2. Mashed Potatoes
Alone, potatoes have only 110 calories, they contain no fat, sodium, or cholesterol. Plus, they’re a good source of vitamin B6, fiber, magnesium, and antioxidants. Once they’re boiled, mashed, packed with salt, milk, and butter – they clock in at 237 calories with 9 grams of fat and 666 milligrams of sodium.
3. Candied Yams
Yams are a very good source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and manganese – plus they’re naturally sweet on their own. However, all of that goes out of the window once cups of sugar are added into the mix. As a side staple, it adds 400 calories to your plate!
Try simple low-sugar baked sweet potatoes instead as they tend to have slightly fewer calories per serving than yams. They also contain a bit more vitamin C.
4. Creamed Spinach
Spinach is also an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, and folate as well as being a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron and vitamin B2. But you won’t benefit from any of it if it comes in a pool of cheese, cheese and yep, more cheese.
Anticipate 280 calories added to your day by adding this dish to your side.
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5. Green Bean Casserole
Yes, they are a vegetable, green and packed with lots of vitamin C, fiber, and folate. They are also heart-healthy and contain no cholesterol. However, a single batch has 785 calories and 4,128 milligrams of sodium when you douse it in butter, cheese, salt, and fried onions. Welp, you’ve just undone all of its nutritional value.
Again, these vegetables and fruits are great on their own, but when you cook them in the traditional ways, these recipes can be detrimental to your health. Try your best to be mindful of the ingredients you use and the amounts you add when cooking this holiday season.
Tia Muhammad, BS, is an award-winning freelance content & media creative, copywriter, blogger, digital designer, and marketing consultant. She owns the boutique content and digital media company, jackieGLDN|studio.
