Delicious Holiday Foods…and Why You Shouldn’t Eat Them

Can you believe that Christmas is two weeks from today? Hate to rain on your parade, but you need to know.  Here are some of the most irresistible foods you might run into at this week/weekend’s Christmas party and why you shouldn’t indulge. As you’d expect, they’re mostly desserts.

Gingerbread. It’s got tons of flour, sugar, and buttermilk. One small piece can have 260 calories and 12 grams of fat. The fiber is the only real benefit, but the bad outweighs the good.

Peanut Brittle. It’s basically just corn syrup, sugar, and butter. It depends on the brand, but one piece typically has about 150 calories and five grams of fat. So if you have three pieces, it’s like eating a double cheeseburger at McDonald’s, but with a little less fat.

Swedish Meatballs. I admit- these are my favorite. They’re small, so it’s easy to eat a lot but each one can easily be over 400 calories. That’s 400 calories of white bread, butter, heavy cream, and salty beef broth. Ask yourself- is it worth it?

Fruitcake. As you know, it’s not healthy just because it has “fruit” in the name. One slice can have over 400 calories and 13 grams of fat. Besides, does anyone really honestly like fruitcake?

Pecan Pie. Pecans are already high in calories.  Then you add sugar, butter, and corn syrup. And in the end, one normal slice will be at least 500 calories, and have 37 grams of fat, and 26 grams of sugar. You’re much better off with a slice of apple pie, which only has about 25% as much fat.

Plum Pudding. It’s also called “Christmas Pudding”, and you don’t see it as much as you used to which is probably a GOOD thing. The traditional recipe calls for molasses, brandy, and candied fruit in the batter. Then you bake it in a pudding mold, after you’ve rubbed grease and sugar all over it. If you ask me, it sounds disgusting.  But I digress. One serving of plum budding has about 360 calories, 15 grams of fat, and 30 grams of sugar.