Healthier alternatives to traditional Christmas foods

CHRISTMAS is when most Jamaicans have their version of a Thanksgiving feast, and our culinary capabilities are on full display in this season as each family pulls out all the stops to ensure that family members and guests are fattened for the new year.

The ham is baked and glazed in sugar, the sorrel reeks of ginger and rum, and the children have cake and sweet treats to their hearts’ desires. Festive, right? Not so much!

Several studies have documented that people are more likely to pass away from heart-related diseases around the Christmas and New Year’s holidays than at any other time of the year. A direct link between deaths and diets during the holidays has not yet been established, especially since the dramatic temperature drop in most parts of the world is also at play here, but it definitely won’t hurt to be on the safe side.

While we don’t want to dampen your festive spirit, our traditional Christmas feast is one that is laden with unhealthy fats, excessive carbs and highly processed foods. In addition, we tend to consume a number of snacks and drinks that put a strain on our bodies during the Yuletide season, making us more susceptible to unfortunate health events.

We recommend that you consider some healthy alternatives or adjustments to these popular Christmas foods, especially if you are at risk of, or suffer from a chronic illness.

Ham

Just one slice of this flavourful Christmas item (3 ounces) contains about 200 calories, plus those which will be added when you glaze it in your sugary sauce. The delicacy is very high in saturated fats, cholesterol and sodium, all of which spell trouble for your heart.

Try instead: Roasted turkey

This popular poultry dish looks just as good at the centre of your Christmas table, and can be sliced and garnished just as you would dress up your ham for the feast. The best part is that pound for pound it has fewer calories and fat than ham, and since it’s not cured meat it is lower in sodium and preservatives. It is also higher in micronutrients such as niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B6 and selenium. Be mindful of what ingredients you choose to stuff your turkey though, as popular stuffings tend to be high in carbs. A savoury sweet potato stuffing will give your turkey a nutritional boost.

Rum fruit cake

It’s no secret that cake — any cake — is high in carbs and fats, but Jamaican Christmas cakes are traditionally baked with a lot of molasses, sweetened fruit, sugar, butter, and more wine than water which brings the calorie count through the roof. A small slice of this cake can pack as much as 500 calories — a combination of carbs, sodium, fat, and a small amount of protein.

Try instead: Heart-healthy carrot cake

Making your own carrot cake from scratch will not only allow you to consume all the rich benefits of carrot in the festive season, but will allow you to assess just how much flour, sugar, and oil you are using in your recipe. You can shave off about 300 calories per serving when compared to a heavy Christmas cake, and treat yourself to the rich fibre found in carrots, as well as vitamin A (in the form of beta carotene), several B vitamins, vitamin K and potassium.

Rum punch

Not only does consuming high levels of alcohol inhibit your ability to function properly, but alcohol, since it is made from starch, is high in carbs. Added to the large amounts of sugar that is used to sweeten a rum punch, you can easily pack on 250 calories from one cup of Jamaica rum punch with very nutritional value save from the vitamin C in the fruits which are sometimes used.

Try instead: sorrel with ginger

The Jamaican sorrel is high in vitamins and minerals and contains flavonoids, which, when consumed, fight against free radicals and can help in the prevention of a wide range of illnesses and chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and other heart complications as well as cancer. Having a low-to-no-sugar drink of sorrel with a kick of ginger will still definitely have you in a Christmas mood.

Sweet treats

Consumption of sweet treats such as cookies, candy canes and traditional Jamaican sweets such as drops and peanut cakes soar at Christmastime especially among children, so much so that a candy cane is among the popular symbols used to represent the season. Most of these confectioneries, even when made with healthy ingredients such a coconuts and peanuts, are loaded with sugar which overshadows the nutritional benefit.

Try instead: Fruit and nut snacks

Children love brightly coloured foods and fruit kebabs, fruit slices, dices, and trail mixes are fun ways to have them snacking healthily in the holidays. An edible fruit arrangement with starfruits, grapes, pineapples, tangerines and watermelon can make an exquisite addition to your dining table, or as a treat for peckish passersby instead of that tray of sweets.