4 Holiday Foods to Keep Off Your Wish List
With the Christmas holiday upon us I thought it was a great time to have a guest post talking about healthy foods to eat and which unhealthy foods to avoid. Today’s guest blogger, Charlie, shines some shocking light on those treats we indulge in just for the holidays and how many calories they’re truly worth.
Everyone loves Santa Claus, but not everyone wants to look like Santa Claus by the time the holidays are over. If you look past all the Christmas cheer and, you’ll quickly realize that the “happiest time of the year” is also the most trying time of the year. It’s financially trying, since most of us bring our bank accounts dangerously close to zero buying presents and cards for people who we barely even remember. Psychologically trying, because the last time I checked, it takes a degree of mental fortitude to successfully convince everyone at a Christmas party that you actually want to be there. Lastly, and perhaps most of all, the holidays are a biologically trying time, since Christmas food is probably the only food on the planet that is that bad for you yet still doesn’t kill you. Here are 4 of the unhealthiest Holiday foods to look out for.
- Starbucks’ Eggnog Latte
A free for all of cream, sugar, and eggs, it’s not surprising that many people need a little alcohol with it in order to drink it. A grande eggnog latte at Starbucks is a shocking 630 calories with 30 g of fat… I’m no nutritionist, but that sounds bad. A simple solution would be to purchase low-fat eggnog if you can find it, or if you’re making it yourself, use egg whites instead of whole eggs and skim milk instead of whole milk.
- Cheesecake Factory’s Original Cheesecake
A regular Cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory will set you back around 500 calories and 30 grams of fat. Instead, try using phyllo dough as a base for a holiday pie. Phyllo dough is much lighter (albeit flakier, if you like that sort of thing) than regular dough, and best of all, is virtually fat free.
- Cheesecake Factory’s Brownie Sundae Cheesecake
There are 970 calories in just 1 serving of Cheesecake Factory’s Brownie Sundae Cheesecake. Don’t let this happen to you. If you’re making your own brownies, using cocoa powder in lieu of real chocolate and skim fat milk will shave hundreds of calories off as well as dollars off your future hospital bills.
- Sonic’s Holiday Spiced Sugar Cookie Blast
Perhaps the most devastating “food” on this list, Sonic’s Holiday Spiced Sugar Cookie Blast tests the boundaries of what is and isn’t considered edible food. Potentially the first food to require a calculator in order to count the calories as you eat it, the Holiday Spiced Sugar Cookie Blast bills itself as some sort of milk shake/ice cream inspired treat that clocks in with an unapologetic 1,256 calories and 39.6 grams of fat.
Granted, the holidays are only once a year, so it’s not as if you would be eating this stuff throughout the year. However, for those of us who value our health more than just our belly fat levels, taking small steps to avoid foods like these could end up saving us lots of money on diabetes medication later on, not to mention time spent being alive. Don’t feel bad if you’ve already had your fair share of calorie packed Christmas foods, though… you can always ask Santa for liposuction.
Charlie Shavargo is a personal trainer at LAVA Sport & Fitness in San Diego, CA. He specializes in plyometrics and abdominal workouts.