Eat Out Eat Well

Holidays

Celebrating The New Year In Good Eating Style

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The earliest recorded celebration of the arrival of the new year dates back 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon.  The first new moon following the vernal equinox, or the day in the spring with an equal amount of sunlight and darkness, signaled the start of a new year.

Today, New Year’s Day–the first day of the calendar year–is celebrated in almost every country in the world, but depending the type of calendar, not all countries or cultures welcome the New Year on January 1st. The Chinese, Egyptian, Jewish, Roman, and Mohammedan years all have different start dates.

January 1 was recognized as New Years Day in the 1500’s with the introduction of the Gregorian Calendar. In 1582 most Catholic countries adopted the Gregorian calendar but the British didn’t adopt it until 1752. Until then the British Empire and their American colonies celebrated the new year in March.

Some Traditions and Legends

  • In ancient Rome the first day of the New Year honored Janus, the god of gates, doors, beginnings and endings. Janus had two faces.  One looked ahead to see what the new year would bring and the other looked backward to see what had happened during the past year. To celebrate, the Romans gave gifts to friends and family members –and sometimes to Senators in exchange for favors.
  • Druid priests In England celebrated the New Year on March 10. They gave branches of mistletoe to people for charms. Later on, English people cleaned their chimneys on New Year’s Day believing that this brought good luck to the household for the coming year (which is where the expression “cleaning the slate” comes from).
  • In many countries people eat specific foods to bring good luck for the coming year.  In Spain they eat grapes, round fruits in the Philippines, suckling pig in Austria, soba noodles in Japan, rice pudding in Norway, black-eyed peas in the southern US, and cake with a hidden coin in Greece.  Other common worldwide customs are making resolutions–which dates to the Babylonians, and watching fireworks.
  • Chinese New Year, an all East and Southeast Asia celebration, is known as “Spring Festival” in China. Filled with tradition and ritual it’s usually considered the most important traditional holiday for Chinese around the world.  It begins on the first day of the first month in the traditional Chinese lunar calendar and is celebrated with lucky red envelopes filled with money, lion and dragon dances, drums, fireworks, firecrackers.  Traditional sweet sticky the last course rice cakes and round savory dumplings symbolize never-ending wealth. On New Year’s Eve the meal includes fish to symbolize abundance. In the first five days of the New Year people eat long noodles to symbolize long life and round dumplings shaped like the full moon to represent the family unit and perfection.

Some New Year’s Eve Tips

If you have big plans for New Year’s Eve, enjoy yourself by devising an eating strategy before you go out and committing to carrying it out.  If you’re watching your weight, have a plan – you can still enjoy yourself and not feel deprived. With a plan you design just for you, you’ll have a much better chance at succeeding – and not end up hating yourself and cursing the scale on the first day of the New Year.  Here are some ideas:

  • If you’re going to a party with lots of hors d’oeuvres decide beforehand how many you’ll have.  Three varieties, one of each?  Two varieties, two of each?
  • Alternate your drink of choice – wine, champagne, liquor – with sparkling water to cut calories, help with sobriety, and make it easier for you to resist food temptations.  Hold that glass of sparkling water or diet soda in your hand – the only people who will know it’s non-alcoholic is you and the bartender (who most likely could care less about what you are drinking).
  • If you’re going to dinner decide if you’re going to have dessert ahead of time.  If you are going to indulge – even if it’s the house specialty smothered in whipped cream — compensate by having a salad with dressing on the side as your appetizer.  Nix the bread.  Just balance your caloric intake the best you can.
  • If it’s a pizza, wings, and beer affair think about ways to minimize your fat intake – pizza and wings (especially the dip) are loaded.  Cut the pizza slice in half – leave the other half in the box.  When you go back for seconds, retrieve the other half slice. You’ll end up eating just one slice but  feel like you’re having two.  If you can, take off some of the cheese – the main source of fat.  Some people use paper towels or napkins to absorb some of the extra fat floating on the surface of a slice.  Up to you – but it really cuts down on calories – mopping up the equivalent of two teaspoons of oil knocks off just under 100 calories.

How Far You’d Need To Walk to Burn Off A New Year’s Party Calories

If you go to a New Year’s party and have:

  • one Irish coffee
  • one glass of wine
  • one cup of coffee with cream and sugar
  • one cup of eggnog
  • one 3 oz Stinger
  • 5 large olives
  • half a cup of mixed nuts
  • one oz of potato or tortilla chips
  • one teaspoon of chip dip, a mini-quiche
  • 2 oz of boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce
  • two chocolate mints
  • one slice of pecan pie with  half a cup of ice cream
  • one small piece of fudge
  • one iced gingerbread cookie

you would have consumed 27030 calories and you would need to walk 27.03 miles, or 54060 steps (assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps) to burn off those calories.

 

Traditional Hanukkah Food: Calories And Tips

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Hanukkah (or Chanukah), the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish celebration that commemorates the second century BC victory of the Maccabees over the Syrians. After the victory Judah called on his followers to cleanse the Second Temple, rebuild its altar, and light its menorah, the gold candelabrum with seven branches representing knowledge and creation.

The Temple needed to be rededicated by lighting the N’er Tamid (eternal light present in every Jewish house of worship), which shouldn’t be extinguished once lit. Only one jar of untainted sacramental oil was found which was barely enough to burn for one day, but miraculously, the small amount of oil continued to burn for eight days and eight nights.

Traditional Hanukkah Foods

Hanukkah is a time of joy and family celebration, fun and traditional foods. Since oil, especially olive oil, is the main ingredient in the ‘Nes Chanukah,’ the Miracle of Chanukah, oil-based foods are favorite recipes on this holiday. ‘Levivot,’ also known as ‘Latkes,’ simple potato pancakes, as well as ‘sufganiyot,’ jelly donuts, are very popular during Chanukah.

Although Hanukkah foods can represent serious temptation for anyone, following some tips will help you succeed (and still honor the holiday) instead of “starting over” after the New Year.

Some Hanukkah Cooking Tips

  • Some oils are a healthy addition to a balanced diet while others are not. However, oil is still oil regardless of type.  It is high in calories and fat, and even a small amount can put you over your calorie needs.
  • The word “light” or “lite” on oil labels refers to the oil’s taste, not its calorie or fat content.
  • Avoid cooking with tropical oils, like coconut or palm, which are high in saturated fats. Use healthy oils like olive, canola, and peanut which are high in monounsaturated fats.  Other good oil choices are: corn, soybean, safflower, and grapeseed.
  • Make latkes ahead of time and freeze them for up to two weeks layering them between wax paper in airtight containers. Bake them (don’t refry) at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes before serving.  Drain on paper towels. Consider mixing the grated potatoes with other shredded vegetables such as carrots or parsnips to lighten the starchy calories.
  • Aim to reduce the amount of oil in the fried food. Draining on paper towels after frying keeps the taste and tradition but sops up excess oil and reduces the fat and calories.
  • Frying your foods in a non-stick skillet (even if it sounds like defeating the purpose of the non-stick surface) allows you to use less oil.

Calories In Traditional Hanukkah Foods

  • Applesauce, sweetened, ½ cup:  95 calories; 0g fat
  • Applesauce (unsweetened), ½ cup:  50 calories; og fat
  • Fried potato latke, 2oz:  200 calories; 11g fat
  • Matzo Ball, 1 large:  90 calories; 3g fat
  • Chicken soup with matzo ball, 1 cup:  185 calories; 8g fat
  • Fried, cheese-filled blintz, 1 medium:  340 calories, 15g fat
  • Baked jelly-filled sufganiyot, 2 inches:  115 calories, 1g fat
  • Fried jelly-filled sufganiyot, 2 inches:  300 calories; 15g fat
  • Almond Mandelbrot, ¼ inch slice:  45 calories; 2g fat
  • Rugelach, 1 cookie:  100 calories; 7g fat
My new ebook is now available:

 

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Holiday ebook coverHow Not to Get Fat Over The Holidays: Halloween – Thanksgiving – Hanukkah – Christmas – Kwanzaa – New Year’s – Valentine’s Day

 

You can buy it now for Amazon Kindle, at 
 Barnes & Noble, and through iBooks (iTunes store/Health, Mind and Body). 

Is A Gingerbread Latte Or A Steaming Hot Chocolate Calling Your Name?

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You’ve spent the day shopping – or working – or taking care of the kids – or any combination of the above – and by mid- afternoon you really want a nice, hot satisfying treat.  It’s pretty tough to resist some of the irresistibly named hot and flavorful drinks that Starbuck’s and Dunkin’ Donuts have to offer.

Hot Chocolate

This is what Starbuck’s has to say about their hot chocolate — how can you resist?

“Do you remember your first hot chocolate? Sweet, creamy comfort in a cup. You instantly pegged it the best drink on earth. Chances are you’ll feel the same about our version of this classic beverage. Made with steamed milk, vanilla and mocha-flavored syrups, and topped with a generous swirl of sweetened whipped cream, we bet it tastes even better than the one you remember.”

Coffee Drinks And Hot Chocolate

Here’s the nutritional information for some Starbuck’s and Dunkin’ Donuts drinks so you can make your best informed choice even if something else sounds so wonderful .

  • Starbuck’s Hot Chocolate, grande (16 oz), 2% milk with whipped cream:  370 calories; 16g fat ; 50g carbs; 14g protein; 25mg caffeine.  Without whipped cream: 290 calories

How About Some Plain Coffee?

If you want something hot you could just have plain black coffee for a bargain basement 5 calories.  The trick is controlling the extras to avoid making your coffee just another sneaky calorie bomb.

  • Brewed coffee, grande (16 oz), black:  5 calories
  • Heavy cream, 1tbs:  52 calories
  • Half-and-half, 1 tbs:  20 calories
  • Whole milk, 1 tbs:  9 calories
  • Fat-free milk. 5 calories
  • Table sugar, 1tbs:  49 calories

 

For more help in choosing, eating, and enjoying holiday food — from Halloween through Valentine’s Day, invest 99 cents for my new ebook, “How Not To Get Fat Over The Holidays.”

You can buy it for Amazon Kindle, at Barnes & Noble.com, and through iBooks (iTunes store/Health, Mind and Body).

 

 

Holiday Party Food Calories: How Far You’d Have To Walk To Burn Them Off

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It’s holiday time and there’s lots of food around. Check out the calorie count and the distance you’d have to walk to burn off those calories if you have:

  • One mixed drink
  • One cup of coffee with cream and sugar
  • One glass of cider or juice
  • One cup of eggnog
  • 10 Wheat Thins
  • 2 tablespoons of cheese ball
  • one mini-quiche
  • 2 oz. boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce
  • 2 oz. Swedish meatballs
  • one slice of pumpkin pie
  • one slice of fruitcake
  • one snickerdoodle cookie
  • one iced gingerbread cookie
  • one piece of divinity

You would have eaten 2039 calories. You’d need to walk 20.39 miles, 32.88 kilometers, or 40780 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps to burn them off. Calculations from walking.about.com.

Liquid Calories and Holiday Parties

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So many of us toast to the holidays with drink in hand – alcoholic or not. Be smart about the booze, the mixers, eggnog, and cider and aim to keep your calories and your buzz under control.

A standard drink is 1.5 ounces of hard liquor, 5 ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of beer.  Think about that when someone pours with a heavy hand.  Odds are that five ounces of wine is far less than most of us would pour into our glass.

Calories And Grams Of Alcohol

Alcohol has 7 calories per gram but doesn’t fill you up the way food does, so you can drink a lot and not feel stuffed.

Alcohol also lowers your inhibitions and your resolve not to eat everything at the buffet table often flies right out the window.

  • 12 ounces of beer has 153 calories and 13.9 grams of alcohol
  • 12 ounces of lite beer has 103 calories and 11 grams of alcohol
  • 5 ounces red wine has 125 calories and 15.6 grams of alcohol
  • 5 ounces of white wine has 121 calories and 15.1 grams of alcohol
  • 1 1/2 ounces (a jigger) of 80 proof (40% alcohol) liquor has 97 calories and 14 grams of alcohol
  • Drinking light beer rather than regular saves about 50 calories a bottle
  • A frozen margarita has about 45 calories an ounce
  • A plain martini, no olives or lemon twist, has about 61 calories an ounce
  • An 8 oz white Russian made with light cream has 715 calories
  • An 8 oz cup of eggnog has about 343 calories and 19 grams of fat thanks to alcohol, heavy cream, eggs, and sugar
  • Mulled wine, a combination of red wine, sugar/honey, spices, orange and lemon peel, has about 210 to 300 calories per 5 ounces, depending on how much sweetener is added
  • One cup (8 oz) of apple cider – without any additives – has 115 calories
  • A mixed drink runs about 250 calories.  Watch your mixers — per ounce club soda has no calories, tonic has10, classic coke has 12, Canada Dry ginger ale has 11, orange juice has 15, and cranberry juice has 16
  • One hot buttered rum has 218 calories
  • One Irish coffee has 218 calories
  • One cup of coffee with cream and sugar runs at least 50 calories (more if it’s sweet and light)
  • 1 glass cider or sparkling grape juice has 120 calories
  • Champagne is a comparative caloric bargain at about 19 calories an ounce