Healthy Holiday Eating: 7 Health Benefits of Your Favorite Holiday Foods
Even though holiday meals are often calorie-dense, you do still achieve healthy holiday eating and reap some heart healthy benefits. Here are seven classic holiday foods with hidden health benefits.
Pumpkin pie
One of the healthier dessert options, pumpkin pie provides fiber, manganese, copper, magnesium, zinc, and various B vitamins. A diet high in fiber supports healthy cholesterol levels, while consuming adequate magnesium promotes lower blood pressure.
Cranberry sauce
Cranberries are a rich source of antioxidants, including vitamins C and E. Antioxidants protect against free radicals, a step towards preventing heart disease and cancer.
Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes provide fiber, vitamins C, beta carotene, manganese, and potassium. A diet high in potassium promotes a healthy blood pressure. One sweet potato provides 428 mg of potassium.
Mashed potatoes
White potatoes contain vitamin B6, potassium, copper, and vitamin C. Vitamin B6 promoting normal homocysteine levels. Elevated homocysteine is associated with plaque build-up and blood clots. One cup of mashed potatoes provides 32% of the daily recommended intake for vitamin B6.
Green bean casserole
Green beans contain carotenoids, flavonoids, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and manganese. Carotenoids provide anti-inflammatory benefits to protect against heart disease. Green beans also provide heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Turkey
While there is not truly enough tryptophan in turkey for it to be the cause of your post meal nap, turkey is a rich source of heart healthy lean protein, providing 26-grams of protein per three-ounce serving with only 2 grams of fat.
Pecans
Twenty-two pecans provide 20 grams of heart healthy unsaturated fat. Adding just a handful of pecans to your daily diet will help prevent heart disease.
Choose Wisely for Healthy Holiday Eating
While holiday foods provide heart healthy nutrients, they are often prepared with extra fat and sugar leading to calorie-dense options. Going overboard can counteract the heart healthy benefits.
If you are working to improve cholesterol or blood pressure but struggle to stick with healthy choices week after week, access How to Make Heart Healthy Changes into Lifelong Habits here.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Health Pro for HealthCentral
