Healthy Food Face-Off: Holiday Edition

on November 18, 2011

Healthy Food Face-Off: Holiday Edition

How do your holiday favorites stack up to each other, health-wise? We give you the lowdown so you can make better choices this season.

Turkey with gravy vs. ham with honey mustard

If you stick with light meat turkey, this is a tossup. Both light meat turkey and ham have the same calories and fat, about 35 calories and 1 to 2 grams of fat per ounce. Gravy adds about 72 calories and 4 fat grams per quarter cup; honey mustard has similar calories but little or no fat.

Lamb vs. rib roast

This barnyard battle goes to the lamb. A 3-ounce serving of lamb, trimmed of fat, has 218 calories and 14.3 fat grams, considerably leaner than trimmed rib roast, at 300 calories and 24 fat grams per serving.

Mashed potatoes vs. stuffing

Potatoes get the nod here. Real stuffing (in the bird) soaks up the drippings from the turkey like a sponge, so the end result is full of fat, especially saturated fat. Even stovetop stuffing has about twice the fat (17 grams per cup) and calories (350 per cup) of mashed potatoes made with milk and butter.

Dinner roll vs. cornbread

Go with your gut here. Ounce for ounce, typical brown-and-serve rolls and cornbread mixes are similar in calories and fat. Both are just under 90 calories and 3 fat grams each, with about the same amount of fiber and protein.

Wine vs. beer

Wine is the better choice. Polyphenols in red wine fight heart disease, cancer and aging. Drier red wines such as cabernet sauvignon, petit syrah and pinot noir contain the highest concentrations. One five-ounce serving has 125 calories, more than twice as many as the same amount of beer. But given its health benefits, we think that’s a terrific bargain.

Pumpkin vs. pecan pie

Pumpkin pie wins, with less fat, fewer calories and more nutrients than pecan pie, which is mostly corn syrup and pecans. A per-slice comparison: Pumpkin pie: 316 calories, 14 grams fat, beta-carotene, calcium, potassium and folate. Pecan pie: 503 calories, 27 grams fat, and not much else.

Hot buttered rum vs. eggnog

Traditional hot buttered rum (rum, hot water, butter, brown sugar) wins with about 80 fewer calories and 6 grams less fat per half-cup serving than eggnog, which boasts a hefty 172 calories and 9.6 fat grams per serving.

Healthy Food Face-Off: Holiday Edition

How do your holiday favorites stack up to each other, health-wise? We give you the lowdown so you can make better choices this season.

Healthy Food Face-Off: Holiday Edition

How do your holiday favorites stack up to each other, health-wise? We give you the lowdown so you can make better choices this season.