Authors: Lisa Lillien
Hungry Girl (84 page)
to cocktail parties,
holidays, and bbqs
People often use holidays and parties as excuses to eat poorly. Don't do it! Be cautious and deliberate about what you eat. There are a few simple things you can do to avoid going absolutely CRAZY at food-filled fiestas . . .
The Dos and Don'ts of a Successful HG Party-GoerDO
opt for simple foods packed with protein and fiber. That way you'll be less likely to overeat (and even if you do, it's on healthy stuff). Shrimp cocktail, crudités (sliced raw veggies), and grilled chicken or beef skewers are great party staples to stick with.
DON'T
indulge in anything shiny, cheesy, or fried. That means no mayo-soaked sides, oily appetizers, fatty dips, or deep-fried items. Macaroni salad, antipasto, artichoke dip, and popcorn shrimp are all crazy-high in fat and calories.
DO
treat yourself to dessert. Load up on fruit salad and savor a few bites of your favorite dessert (so you don't feel deprived and wind up stopping for a carton of ice cream the minute you leave the party).
DON'T
fall victim to those giant bowls of mixed nuts. Though nuts are healthy, it's much too easy to munch on them mindlessly and end up gobbling 'em up by the handful. And each pile you grab will probably have 150 to 200 calories and 15 or more grams of fat.
DO
check out more of our party tips on page 153.
Chew the Right Thing!The 411 on hors d'oeuvres . . .
BITE IT!
Assorted chilled seafood is an awesome option—shrimp, crabmeat, mussels, and scallops are all super-low in calories and fat. And you can never go wrong with fresh veggies, as long as you ditch the creamy dips and eat them plain or with a little salsa.
FIGHT IT!
Pigs in a blanket (those cute little bundled-up hot dogs) have about 75 calories each. Little quiches and fried dumplings can easily pack in over 150 calories a pop (eeeks!). And a single stuffed mushroom or bacon-wrapped scallop can contain 65 big ones!
TOP ATE Tips for Guilt-Free Party Sips No, you don't need to stick to water. Here are HG's favorite party sipper tips that allow you to skip the excess calories. Bottoms up . . . 1. If you're craving a mixed drink, choose one with seltzer or diet soda (calorie-free mixers = your friend) and a single shot of liquor, like vodka or rum. Then your whole drink will only run you about 100 calories. 2. Avoid fancy-schmancy frozen drinks like daiquiris, margaritas, and piña coladas. Those can easily contain 500 calories each! 3. Skip creamy liqueurs for sure. Those can contain insanely high amounts of calories and fat. 4. Don't be fooled by juice-based mixed drinks. Cranberry, orange, apple, and grapefruit juices can all add 50 to 75 calories to your cocktail. If you've gotta have a fruity fix, go with half juice and half seltzer. 5. If beer's your thing, go with light beer and save about 50 calories per drink. 6. Remember that tonic water isn't sugar-free or calorie-free. Choose diet tonic or seltzer instead. |
7. Wine is low in calories—about 120 calories for an average serving—and it's easy to make one glass last. Save even more calories by drinking a wine spritzer (a few ounces of wine mixed with seltzer). Yum! 8. Remember, everyone loves a designated driver. No shame in skipping the cocktails and treating yourself to a little more of the party food! |
Holiday HOT List!
Choose these guilt-free goodies at your next holiday party . . . |
* Shrimp cocktail (4 jumbo shrimp w/1 tablespoon cocktail sauce = 75 calories and 1g fat) |
* Hot holiday-blend tea (1 mug w/no sugar = 0 calories and 0g fat) |
* Candy canes (1 cane = 60 calories and 0g fat) |
* Chicken or beef skewers (1 skewer = 100 calories and 3g fat) |
* Raw veggies with salsa (1 cup veggies w/¼ cup salsa = 55 calories and 0.5g fat) |
Nutritional information based on averages.
Holiday NOT List!
Don't overindulge on these holiday diet busters . . . |
* Eggnog (1 cup = 400 calories and 20g fat!) |
* Hot cocoa (1 cup w/whipped cream = 200 calories and 10g fat!) |
* Assorted chocolates (3 pieces = 200 calories and 11g fat!) |
* Cookies (1 chocolate chip cookie = 210 calories and 13g fat!) |
* Cake (1 small slice of chocolate cake = 340 calories and 14g fat!) |
Nutritional information based on averages.
BBQ Foods: INDULGE or AVOID?EAT IT!
Grilled chicken breast, turkey dogs or turkey burgers (often low in calories and fat, but read the labels if you can!), grilled veggies, corn on the cob, watermelon, fruit bars, and ice pops.
BEAT IT!
Fried chicken, beef burgers, hot dogs, oily marinated veggies, potato salad, pasta salad, pie, ice cream (cones, bars, or otherwise).
USE IT!
Lettuce wraps, mustard, ketchup, pickles, salsa, hot sauce, lemon juice, light salad dressings.
LOSE IT!
Giant buns, cheese, mayo, BBQ sauce (or use sparingly), butter, full-fat salad dressings.
BBQ Shockers!
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The average BBQ meal contains 3,500 calories! That's at least 1,500 more calories than the average person should have in an entire day.
