The Naughty List — 5 Foods to Avoid on Christmas

Sweets, treats, and feasts are all too common around the end of the year. While most people give in to the temptation of sugary treats, we’re not letting that excuse own us this year! Why wait until the New Year? Health and fitness is a resolution that doesn’t take a vacation. (Except cheat meals, of course)

Discipline may be the hardest part of sticking to a diet, but calorie packed cookie dough, meals overflowing with sodium, and beverages with more carbs than bread are not worth the weight. The sugar loaded snacks and drinks around the holidays are serial diet killers, and will leave you feeling neither holly nor jolly.

Let’s be honest, most people won’t stick to their resolutions anyway. So be smart this year, and start making a habit of healthy choices as soon as possible.

Skipping these holiday specials this year can keep you on track to reach your fitness goals:

Sugar cookies

Leave the cookies for Santa this year, he has a magic metabolism anyway. The classic holiday recipe includes huge amounts of all-purpose flour, butter, and egg. An average cookie contains over 200 calories and 14 grams of sugar. [1] All this excludes the icing, which lets be honest, will inevitably cover your cookie.

If you’re in charge of the baking, changing a few ingredients means everyone can celebrate a healthier holiday tradition. Use egg whites and less butter to keep saturated fat and cholesterol low, and a touch of whole-wheat flour to add fiber. [1]

Eggnog

With ingredients like sugar, eggs, whipping cream, and bourbon, this beverage will keep your ugly holiday sweater fitting a bit too tight. One cup has 343 calories, 150 milligrams of cholesterol — half of the USDA’s suggested daily limit, and 21 grams of sugar, which is almost a day’s worth. [1]

Fruitcake

With a name combining two wonderfully delicious foods, what could go wrong? Everything. Don’t let this false advertising fool you, even though it contains fruit, this baked good contains plenty of butter, sugar, and corn syrup. One slice clocked in at 410 calories and 13 grams of fat. [1]

Green bean casserole with fried onions

Alone, green beans are a wholesome vegetable, loaded dietary fiber and vitamins A and C. But don’t let the name fool you, when combined with butter, cheese, salt, and fried onions, a green bean casserole strips away the health credibility the green bean has. One full batch has 785 calories and 4,128 milligrams of sodium. [1]

Glazed ham

Ham; another fit food corrupted with holiday custom. The traditional recipe takes the vitamin-rich, lean meat and cures it with salt, then glazes it with sugar, tarnishing all the usual health benefits. A six-ounce serving contains 1,760 milligrams of sodium and 6 grams of sugar. [1] While this may not seem outrageous, a few slices of ham quickly add up to the same sodium content as a package of Ramen noodles.

If you feel the need for something sweet this holiday, try reaching for the fruit or vegetable platter first. We promise you, the annual sugar binge is not worth the weight. And if you must have a taste, remember: Portion control counts!

Commit to fit in 2017 with SmartPlate. Plate by plate, we’ll steer you toward better decisions on your unique fitness journey. The SmartPlate app will gear your eating habits toward whatever your goal may be, accelerating your journey and simplifying success.

Happy Holidays from the Fitly Family!