BY Jackie Keller

If your family is spread out throughout the country like mine, Thanksgiving and the December holidays represent a time when most of us gather together at someone’s home to share stories about our lives and our year. At these gatherings, food abounds, libations liberally flow, and our resolve can easily slip right out the door. Knowing that, here are some great tips and healthy recipes that can help you keep your weight in check:

1) If you've made the traditional version of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy and pumpkin pie - think about who in your family needs that food more than you. Drawing a blank? You can put the food in food-safe containers (like the sandwich containers that are designed to be semi-disposable) and drive them to your local food pantry or street corner where homeless people beg for food. While healthy versions of these dishes can be created, it's too late to do so now (if you already have unhealthy leftovers), so rather than eat them yourself, either give them to a grateful neighbor or family member, or toss them out. Full fat cheese or dips and fiber-free crackers and chips belong in the same category,

2) Leftovers that you can repurpose into healthy versions include turkey and vegetables (unless they were cooked in butter). There are endless salads and stir fry dishes that can be created with bits of both, or even a turkey pot pie (using brown rice and egg white as a crust). Make a meal plan for whatever you can use up healthfully. If you have a menu thought out that actually incorporates these items, they're much more likely to get used up in a rational manner.

3) Drinking your calories is just as bad as overeating. Start this period off right by committing to drink at least 2 glasses of water for every glass of wine or alcoholic beverage that you drink at dinner or a party. That's in addition to the 8 glasses that you should be drinking daily. Let's face it, there's only so much liquid you can hold, so if you make that bargain with yourself before the start of an evening or event, you'll be far less likely to consume excess beverage calories.

4)Eat a healthy, well-balanced breakfast daily. This is especially important at the holiday time of year, as it's much more likely that you'll overeat during the day if you've started it right with a good, satisfying breakfast.

5) Make a point to incorporate vigorous activity daily - structured exercise, or functional exercise - don't let the day end without some form of activity. Even if it's 15 or 20 minute intervals (walking, taking the stairs). Add that up and you've got over an hour a week of exercise, which wakes up your body, your brain and helps keep your stress at bay. This can greatly help "curb the insanity" that starts just after Thanksgiving!

JACKIE'S HOLIDAY FAVES!

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Scone

Servings: 10 Serving Size: 1 scone

Ingredients:

1 cup white whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. NutriFit™ Certainly Cinnamon Salt Free Spice Blend*

1 tsp. sugar

1 cup sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed

3 tbsp. trans-fat free, lite margarine, melted

Directions:

1. Grease a baking sheet; set aside. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium-sized bowl; stir in sugar.
3. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix potatoes and 1 ½ tbsp. margarine with fork. Add dry ingredients and mix to form a soft dough.
4. Turn out onto floured surface. Roll out with a floured rolling pin and make a round about ½ ” thick.
5. Cut into rounds. Place 1 to 1 ½ " apart. Brush tops with remaining margarine.
6. Bake 20 minutes or until light brown.

Harvest Turkey Stew

Servings: 4 Serving Size: 1 ½ cups

Ingredients:

1 spray Canola oil cooking spray

1 lb. turkey breast, cut into 1" pieces

2 tsp. NutriFit™ French Riviera Salt & Sugar Free Spice Blend*

1 medium onion, chopped

3 large firm-ripe tomatoes, chopped

3 large carrots, thinly sliced

1 large potato, peeled and diced

1 cup reduced sodium turkey broth

1 cup tomato juice

1 tbsp. dry red wine

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 medium zucchini, coarsely diced

Directions:

1. Spray a wide 4 to 5-quart pan with cooking spray. Cook the turkey breast, seasoned with the Riviera blend, with the onion over medium heat, stirring often, until the turkey is no longer pink and the onion is soft but not browned.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, carrots, potato, broth, tomato juice, wine, and Worcestershire sauce. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil; reduce the heat, cover and boil gently for 20 minutes.
3. Add the zucchini and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes more.

Pumpkin and Squash Risotto

Servings: 6 Serving Size: 1 cup

Ingredients:

3 cups pumpkin, peeled and cubed

1 cup squash, peeled, and cut into 1" cubes

1 tsp. NutriFit™ Mediterranean Salt & Sugar Free Spice Blend*

3 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium vegetable broth

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 cups onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup short grain brown rice

¼ cup dry white wine

2 tbsp. parmesan cheese, grated

2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. white pepper

Directions:

1. Sprinkle pumpkin and squash with the Mediterranean Spice Blend. Steam, covered, for 15 minutes or until tender; set aside.
2. Bring broth to a simmer in a saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
3. Heat a large saucepan with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add rice; sauté 1 minute. Add wine; cook 1 minute or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.
4. Add warm broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 18 minutes total).
5. Stir in squashes; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.

Chunky Cranberry Spread

Servings: 250 Serving Size: 2 tbsp.

Ingredients:

5 lb. fresh whole cranberries

1 (6 oz.) apricot spreadable fruit

3 lb. Neufchatel (reduced fat) cream cheese

2 (12 oz.) can frozen white grape juice concentrate

3 lb. fat-free cottage cheese

Directions:

1. Wash cranberries well. Put in a microwave safe bowl and add the apricot preserves. Cover with plastic wrap and heat on high for 2 minutes. Let cool
2. Process cottage cheese until completely smooth.
3. Sweeten with grape juice concentrate.
4. Add fruit to creamed cottage cheese.
5. Process using pulsing technique until coarsely chopped.

*NutriFit’s Salt & Sugar Free Spice Blends can be purchased online at www.nutrifitonline.com

or by calling 310.473.1989. For more information on Jackie Keller, visit www.jackiekeller.com.