Nov 7, 2016
Deck the halls, but don’t ditch your diet! Stay heart-healthy with seasonal, healthy foods.
For many, the holidays are the most wonderful – and least heart-healthy – time of the year.
Grandma’s fudge is a sentimental favorite, and the neighbor’s cake balls are a decadent habit. Indulging a little won’t hurt – but planning ahead will make for merry meals that are healthy too.
Do you decorate for the holidays with a lot of color? Treat your dinner plate the same way.
“Half of a meal should comprise fruits and vegetables that consist of a variety of colors,” said Vilma Andari, president and founder of NutraHealthFood and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. “The other two quarters should be whole grains and healthy proteins.”
Make your holiday meals festive and healthy with a variety of richly colored fruits and vegetables – and don’t forget the herbs and spices. “Try to work fruits and veggies into everything from soups and stews to casseroles instead of just side dishes,” Andari said.
Sweet potatoes
“Nothing spells ‘fall’ like a deep orange-yellow colored food packed with antioxidants such as Vitamin C and beta carotene,” Andari said. “Beta carotene can be converted into Vitamin A in the body to help support a healthy immune system and promote bone growth.”
Sweet potatoes are also high in fiber and vitamin B-6, as well as potassium, which plays a role in decreasing blood pressure.
Rachel K. Johnson, Ph.D., R.D., the Bickford Professor of Nutrition at the University of Vermont and an AHA spokeswoman, is a fan of them too. “Sweet potatoes are a nutrient bonanza,” she said. “Roast them with a little drizzle of maple syrup for the holidays.”
Need more seasonal vegetables that are packed with beta carotene? Try acorn squash, pumpkin and winter squash.
Brussels sprouts
Don’t put Brussels sprouts on your “naughty” list. Go green with this multilayered….
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