Holiday meals can be high in fat, sodium and sugar — which is far from heart-healthy. However, you don't have to skip all your favorite foods. Here's what you need to know to make holiday meals a little healthier:
What heart-healthy meals look like
Eating in a way that is good for your heart doesn't have to be complicated. A heart-healthy diet prioritizes whole, plant-based foods, fiber and lean protein. When you eat more of those foods, you end up eating less saturated fat, sugar, sodium (salt) and ultra-processed foods.
Here's why it works:
- Whole foods, like whole-grain bread, lentils, beans, fruits and vegetables, are lower in fat, sugar and sodium than ultra-processed foods, leading to lower blood pressure and healthy cholesterol levels.
- Fruits and vegetables protect your heart because they are cholesterol-free, low-fat and high in fiber.
- Fiber, found in sources like whole-grain bread and brown rice, helps lower your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar.
- Lean protein, such as turkey breast and white fish, contains less saturated fat, which can increase cholesterol.
Eating heart-healthy at the holidays
Here are some ways to eat healthier at holiday gatherings:
- Bring a heart-healthy dish to share, such as roasted vegetables
- Eat lower-calorie, high-fiber foods first, like lean turkey and salad
- Limit your alcohol intake and drink water with your meal
- Avoid overeating by practicing portion control — fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, a quarter with lean protein and the last quarter with whole grains
- Take home half your meal to eat the next day
- Wait at least 20 minutes before going back for seconds
However, when you are staring down a table full of your favorite holiday foods, willpower sometimes slips out the window. To make it easier, check out these food swaps that have your heart health in mind:
1. Dip into heart-friendly appetizers
Hummus, bean dip and spinach dip all contain vegetables, but don't be fooled. Store-bought dips and traditional dip recipes aren't always healthy.
Spinach dip typically has a sour cream and mayonnaise base. Sour cream is high in fat and cholesterol, and mayonnaise can be high in calories, fat and sodium. High cholesterol can lead to narrowed arteries and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure.
When preparing a dip that calls for sour cream or mayonnaise, swap in reduced-fat sour cream or fat-free, plain Greek yogurt. You'll keep the creaminess without all the calories and fat. Plus, Greek yogurt is a good source of protein.
Hummus and bean dip offer fiber and protein without saturated fat — though watch for high sodium levels in store-bought dips. For a bonus, skip the crackers and chips. Dip vegetables instead, such as carrots, celery and peppers.
2. Prioritize lean protein
A heart-healthy diet should include lean meats and unprocessed foods. White-meat turkey checks both boxes, while spiral ham does not.
Spiral ham is leaner than beef and has similar calories and fat as turkey, but it can contain more than 1,000 milligrams of sodium in a 4-ounce serving. That's two-thirds of the maximum daily sodium intake recommended by the American Heart Association. Glazed or honey-baked hams have even more calories and sugar. If you do have spiral ham, limit yourself to 2 slices.
To keep your roasted turkey healthy, watch your portion — a 3-ounce serving should be roughly the size of your palm. Eat a mixture of white and dark meat, since each offers different health benefits, and remove the skin. If you are buying the turkey, check that it wasn’t injected with a saline solution to make it juicier. That can greatly increase the sodium content.
3. Choose healthier ways to prepare potatoes
Both sweet potatoes and white potatoes can be part of a heart-healthy meal. Sweet potatoes provide fiber and vitamin A, while white potatoes are a good source of potassium, which helps support healthy blood pressure.
How you prepare them matters. Mashed potatoes made with lots of butter, salt or gravy can add extra saturated fat and sodium. Sweet potato casseroles made with marshmallows or brown sugar can contain a lot of added sugar.
Try this for your next holiday feast: Roast or bake either type of potato with a little olive oil and your favorite herbs or spices. If you're making mashed potatoes, use less butter and salt. For sweet potatoes, skip the marshmallows and added sugar.
4. Make sweet treats heart-smart
You can choose a dessert that satisfies the sweet tooth and is (relatively) heart-healthy.
Pumpkin pie is a good choice. It is naturally high in fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins A and C. It's also low in calories and packed with carotenoids, which help protect your body’s tissues. If you're doing the baking, stick with 100% pure canned pumpkin, which provides all those benefits. Pumpkin pie filling can contain a lot of sugar.
The fruit and pecans used in pies also have benefits, including antioxidants and essential vitamins. However, those pies typically have a crust on the top and bottom, which means more calories, fat and sugar than a pumpkin pie.
Make fruit and nut pies healthier with small changes, such as:
- Replace half of the white all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour.
- Use only half the sugar and add cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla for extra flavor, or replace half the sugar with a low-calorie baking sweetener, such as monk fruit blends and allulose.
- Skip the pie crust and make a fruit crumble instead.
- Swap out butter for plain, no-sugar-added applesauce or soft tub margarine, which is low in saturated fat.
Other ways to prioritize heart health during the holidays
Your diet isn't the only way to focus on your heart this holiday season. Other ways to protect your heart health include:
- Exercise consistently to strengthen your heart and lower your blood pressure.
- Get enough sleep to lower your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
- Reduce stress to lower blood pressure and your risk of heart attack.
- Stay hydrated to help your heart pump blood more easily.
Maintaining your heart health is a year-round job. Keep up the good work — even during the holiday season.
Contact us
If you have concerns about your heart health, we can help. Find a doctor at MLK Community Healthcare or call (424) 529-6755 today to make an appointment.