Written by Gloria Tsang, RD Published in Dec 2006; Updated in Nov 2007
(HealthCastle.com) Healthy eating is all about making wise choices. Holiday eating is no exception. By simply weighing your options when it comes to holiday foods, you may be able to keep your waistlines after weeks of festivity.
Holiday Food Comparison
Ham vs. Turkey
Choose Turkey. Both of these holiday foods are great sources of protein, but turkey provides significant less fat if you skip the skin. In addition, ham has 15 times more sodium than turkey and may contain nitrates. A controversial ingredient commonly found in processed meat, sodium nitrite has been linked to cancer.
Soft cheese vs. Hard cheese
It depends. If you are primarily concerned about fat and calories, choose soft cheese because they generally provide fewer calories and lower amount of saturated fats (the bad fat). However, if you are concerned about calcium, choose hard cheese as they usually pack a lot of more calcium per serving.
Gingerbread cookies vs. Chocolate dip shortbread
Choose Gingerbread cookies. Gingerbread cookies usually contain at least half the amount of calories, sugar and fat than chocolate dip shortbread. That said, you should know that while gingerbread cookies have fewer calories, they are still full of empty calories with no nutritional values. It is wise to keep this holiday food at a minimum.
Candy cane vs. Truffle ball
It depends. If you can restrain yourself from eating more than one piece, either one is fine. One truffle ball provides 85 calories while a candy cane contains about 55 calories. The good thing about candy cane is that it can last a long time, and most people don't eat more than one piece!
Consider: Although a candy cane has fewer calories and no fat, this holiday food is still loaded with refined sugar and is another example of empty calories food. If dark chocolate is available, it may be a good option. Dark chocolate contains more flavonoids, a type of polyphenol antioxidant, and has been shown to reduce the bad LDL cholesterol in preliminary studies.
Red wine vs. White wine
Choose Red Wine. Red wine contains resveratrol, a type of antioxidant that has been shown to increase HDL cholesterol and prevent blood clotting. In addition, red wine contains flavonoids, another antioxidant that helps prevent blood clots and plaque formation in arteries
Choose Turkey. Both of these holiday foods are great sources of 
It depends. If you are primarily concerned about fat and calories, choose soft cheese because they generally provide fewer calories and lower amount of 
Choose Gingerbread cookies. Gingerbread cookies usually contain at least half the amount of calories, sugar and fat than chocolate dip shortbread. That said, you should know that while gingerbread cookies have fewer calories, they are still full of 
It depends. If you can restrain yourself from eating more than one piece, either one is fine. One truffle ball provides 85 calories while a candy cane contains about 55 calories. The good thing about candy cane is that it can last a long time, and most people don't eat more than one piece!
Choose Red Wine. 
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