Healthy Hollywood: Ask Keri Glassman — Which Holiday Dessert Is The Healthiest Choice?

Nutritionist Keri Glassman, who regularly shares her expertise on Access Hollywood and Access Hollywood Live, is answering your nutrition, diet, and health questions.

Want to know which foods to curb sugar cravings? Or, what should you eat before a workout? Ask Keri anything, HERE!

This week’s question…

“It’s that time of year when holiday parties are taking over my calendar and it’s hard for me to resist the delicious desserts. If I were to indulge in the fruitcake, the pecan pie, or the gingerbread cookie, which should I go for?” — Susie, Dallas, TX

Keri says…

‘Tis the season for holiday parties! Whether they’re work related or strictly for fun, holiday parties seem to be unavoidable… and so is that looming dessert platter. Ironically, dessert spelled backwards is stressed (ha! ), which seems appropriate since that’s what we are once we get a good look at the deliciously tempting sweets. But you don’t have to let desserts ruin your holiday season because lucky for you, not all desserts are created equal. This season, you can make conscious indulgences when you’re faced with the dessert spread so you can eat, drink, and be merry!

Fruits cakes and pecan pies and gingerbread cookies! Oh my! As you know, these are the quintessential desserts at the center of every holiday party. Whether you like these sweets or they just seem more appealing than talking to your co-worker, the opportunity to indulge presents itself. So how do you consciously indulge, as I like to say? By knowing what you’re eating! Portion for portion, these desserts do not contain the same amount of calories. Sadly for you pecan pie peeps, your fave tends to have the most calories out of the three sweet treats. A typical slice of pecan pie has about 500 calories and an equivalent slice of fruit cake is about 400 calories. And what’s behind door number 3, you ask? 5 small gingerbread men cookies for about 150 calories. However, when it comes to conscious indulgences, it’s NOT all about the calories!

I’m a firm believer in enjoying what you indulge in so whatever you choose, love it but be conscious. There are many ways to do this:

– Have ONE small portion of your dessert of choice, not the WHOLE cake, pie, or bag of cookies.

– Cut off the pie crust or cut the piece of cake in half and savor every bite.

– Break the cookie into smaller pieces to feel as if you have tons to indulge on.

– Skip the mashed potatoes and dinner roll to make room for the sweet treat of your choice.

Don’t let desserts stress you out this holiday season! Just remember: indulge, enjoy, and be conscious. Marie Antoinette was definitely onto something — you can have your cake (or pie or cookie) and eat it, too.

— Keri Glassman & Terri MacLeod

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