The holidays have arrived, and with the holiday season here it can be easy to get bombarded with an abundance of sweets, fancy dinners, and desserts. If you’re not careful it can be easy to add on some extra pounds during this year, but we here at Freedom Home Care have a few healthy holiday cookie tips to help you enjoy the season’s sweets while still maintaining a good diet. Simply by altering some of your favorite recipes, you can enjoy your seasonal favorites without the guilt!
Whether its substituting ingredients or altering portion size, you can still feel like you/re indulging while saving yourself the extra calories.
For example, remember your mom’s Sugar Cookies? If you reduce the butter by a third and use cream cheese as a butter substitute, as well as replace half the flour with whole wheat flour, you can save 18 calories and 3g of fat while adding 1g of protein and 1g of fiber to boot.
Even the beloved snicker doodle cookies can be improved by using yogurt instead of butter, and reducing the amount of sugar in the coating.
Another easy way to indulge without guilt is to simply reduce portion size. Make your cookies a bit smaller, and reduce calories and fat while increasing your batch size.
Another option for the holiday is try something new! Your old standby holiday treats may be on the unhealthy side, but this year you could try some new recipes and maybe even start some new traditions:

Pecan Meringue Cookies

Ingredients:
For Spiced Pecans:

1 cup pecans
1 tbsp light corn syrup
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp simple syrup
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground clove
Pinch of dry ground ginger
For Meringue Mixture:
2 extra large egg whites
½ cup super fine sugar
 
In a bowl, combine nut mixture and spread on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 until golden brown.
Cool nuts and pulse them in a food processor, put aside.
Take meringue ingredients and beat them together until soft peaks are formed.
Stir in nut mixture gently.
Drop a tsp size dollop on the lined cookie sheet and bake for one hour.
Turn off the oven, open the oven door and allow them to cool in oven overnight.
Each cookie is only 27 calories, and the recipe will yield about 50 cookies.
 
Here at Freedom Home Care we pride ourselves on service and education, so we hope you and you loved ones enjoy the holiday season with these delicious and healthy tips we’ve shared!