By Jennifer Huget
Tuesday, December 9, 2008

We all know that the holidays are not the time to try to lose weight; that's why the Holiday Challenge calls simply for maintaining our weight and not gaining that pound that the average person packs on between now and early January.

But can we enjoy the season's treats and still meet that challenge?

Monica Reinagel, the Baltimore-based chief nutritionist for Conde Nast's NutritionData.com, says we can. By identifying our overall approach to holiday eating and by tweaking a few of our favorite foods, Reinagel argues that we can indeed indulge without increasing our bulge.

"There are two lines of thought" regarding holiday eating, Reinagel says. And the approach to choose "depends on your personality," she adds.

"You might say to yourself that Christmas comes but once a year and that trying to produce a low-fat version of a butter cookie is kind of a fool's errand," she explains. Such an approach requires you to "exercise self-restraint -- and to savor every bite," Reinagel says.

But if tasting Uncle Bob's gingerbread cookies inevitably leads to your gorging on ginger people, Reinagel offers a different approach: seeking more-healthful alternatives to seasonal sweets in foods that satisfy body and soul without triggering overeating and weight gain.

"Try to emphasize foods that seem seasonal and very festive, that don't feel austere, but that help to balance heavier treats," Reinagel suggests. For instance, an elegant spread of colorful dried fruits such as mission figs, golden figs and apricots, plus special fruits such as the crated clementines that appear this time of year and an assortment of nuts in the shell has a "seasonal connotation," she says, delivering plenty of holiday spirit -- not deprivation.

I love the nuts-in-shells idea. They are festive, especially when, as Reinagel suggests, you set them out with Grandma's silver nutcracker. "Nuts are fun, they look beautiful, they're a novelty, a tactile and communal activity, and cracking them yourself is a leisurely and mindful way to enjoy them," Reinagel says. Plus, she adds, they're generally unsalted, they're cheaper by far than canned or jarred nuts ("Fifteen dollars' worth of nuts will last you the whole season," she says), and, best of all, "you can't go through them very fast," the way you can scarf down a bowl of salted cashews.

"Salty foods taste like 'More!' " Reinagel says. "One handful of salted nuts leads you to the next one."

Here are Reinagel's other ideas for healthful alternatives to holiday standards:

Instead of a bowl of M&Ms, set out an assortment of individually wrapped squares of dark chocolate. "It feels deluxe, and because you have to unwrap each one, it takes time" and limits the opportunity to pig out.

Choose a small piece of cheese over a cracker loaded with hot, cheesy dip. "Spinach and artichoke dips sound great, like tons of vegetables," Reinagel says. "But they're treacherous -- hot mayonnaise on a spoon! They're full of cream cheese, mayonnaise or other high-fat binders, and it's very difficult to gauge your portion."

But no need to feel cheese-deprived: Reinagel says you can even go for a decadent-tasting bit of a soft cheese such as brie or chevre, which is a mildly better choice than a chunk of hard cheese such as cheddar or gruyere. "Hard cheeses have been pressed so the liquid is removed," she explains. "That makes them a denser bunch of fat and calories" than a softer cheese. (The bad news: A single serving of cheese, about an ounce, is only as big as two dice.)

Opt for olives over mixed nuts. Both are full of healthful fats, but olives are much less caloric and easier to stop eating after a few. Reinagel recommends huge Cerignola olives, which she says are "very meaty and delicious but less salty" than smaller varieties.

Swap eggnog for cocoa. "Almost anything is better than artery-clogging eggnog," Reinagel says. Cocoa made with milk (choose skim for even less fat and calories) and real cocoa supplies Vitamin D, calcium and flavinoids that might help prevent heart disease and cancer.

Or try hot mulled cider or wine instead of a cold cocktail. They might have the same number of calories, "but you drink them much more slowly," Reinagel says. "And the cinnamon and cloves make it so flavor-intense, so satisfying," she adds. Extra benefit: "Cinnamon can help control blood sugar and modulate the effects of those sugar cookies," she says. (For more on better-for-you holiday cocktails, see today's Checkup blog.)

Pick pumpkin pie over pecan pie. There's no contest here: Reinagel notes that a slice of pecan pie has at least 200 more calories than pumpkin pie, which also contains nutrients such as beta carotene, potassium, iron and vitamins A, C, K and E. "Pecans are 20 percent higher in fat than walnuts or cashews," Reinagel adds. And in terms of sheer calories, she says, "you couldn't design a more high-calorie dessert than pecan pie if you tried."

But "if the holidays just aren't the holidays without pecan pie," Reinagel advises, "indulge a little." Or experiment by using phyllo dough for your crust. "Phyllo is not a short dough, so it's very low in fat. It's a nice complement [to pie fillings] in texture and richness."

Whatever you choose to eat this holiday season, Reinagel urges, make every bite count. "Lots of calories come at us this time of year," she says. "Some might be worth it. Others aren't. There's no use in wasting calories on foods you don't particularly enjoy."

"Those doughnut holes your office manager brought in? They're not worth it," Reinagel reasons. "But the homemade Christmas cookies? Yeah, they might be."

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Here's what some readers had to say about last week's Eat, Drink and Be Healthy column:

SamFelis wrote, "One thing that works for me when striving to maintain my weight over a short period is to cut out meat 2 or 3 days a week." Check out the "Meatless Monday" recipe featured in Kim O'Donnel's "A Mighty Appetite" blog every week.

"I like to Hula Hoop when I get home or after a meal to burn off some calories while watching TV," wrote Lydiasings. Great idea, and sounds like fun! Find more fun ways to work off calories in the MisFits column every Tuesday in the Health section.

Check out today's Checkup blog, in which Jennifer shares readers' recipes and offers tips for better-for-you cocktails. To find better-for-you recipes for pecan pie, seven-layer dip, hot cocoa, a fruitcake (with olives!) and more, subscribe to the weekly Lean & Fit nutrition newsletter by going to http://www.washingtonpost.com and searching for "newsletters." And e-mail your thoughts to Jennifer at checkup@washpost.com.