Holiday Tips from THE DOCTORS

'Tis the season for celebration! The holidays just have a special magic, with friends and family gathering, customers flocking to retail stores and extravagant meals being prepared. However, this time of year also brings a great deal of holiday stress. THE DOCTORS unwrap the secrets you need to know for a happy and healthy holiday season: 

Healthy Holiday Party Tips:

•        Fill bowls and platters with healthy snacks, such as nuts, whole-grain crackers, low-fat cheese and air-popped popcorn.
•        Rather than serving salted mixed nuts or candied pecans, serve spiced toasted almonds. By replacing salt, oil and butter with cayenne pepper and thyme, you trim unwanted fat and add vitamin E, magnesium and fiber to the snack.
•        Serve fruit kabobs.
•        Swap chocolate peppermint bark for strawberries dipped in dark chocolate, which provide antioxidants, vitamin C and fiber.

Santa's Snack Tips:

·         Choose gingerbread cookies. They have fewer calories and are lower in fat than traditional cookies.
·         Serving sizes. One serving size of cookies should be no taller than the size of a lipstick container.
·         Start with a smoothie. Drinking a healthy smoothie early in the day will help fight hunger cravings and snacking throughout the day.

Holiday Safety Measures for Children: 

·         Watch for toxic chemicals like lead paint when buying presents for children.
·         Check for choking hazards! Make sure toys are large enough that children can’t swallow them.  Rule of thumb: If the toy is small enough to fit inside an empty toilet paper roll, then it could be a choking hazard for your child.
·         Keep holiday lights and decorations out of the way. Consider keeping ornaments and lights above the reach of small children and pets and only decorate the top part of the tree.

Dr. Stork’s Healthy Holiday Appetizers:

If you’re looking for a healthy, yet flavor-filled appetizer to serve your guests or bring to parties, Dr. Travis Stork offers two of his favorite crowd pleasers:

Rosemary-Garlic Olive Oil Bread Dip

Ingredients:

4 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, smashed (or more to taste)

1/2 tsp fresh or dried rosemary leaves, chopped fine (or more to taste)

Instructions:

Blend all ingredients well.  Serve with whole-grain bread or whole-grain crackers

White Bean Spread

Ingredients:

1 16-oz can white beans, drained

2 garlic cloves

1 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP plus 1 tsp fresh minced herbs, separated (use parsley, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, basil, or any other fresh herbs)

1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients except the 1 tsp minced fresh herbs in a food processor.  Process until creamy.  Spoon into a bowl; sprinkle with remaining herbs.  

Serve with fresh veggies, whole-grain bread, or whole-grain crackers.

Tune in to THE DOCTORS (check your local listings) for more tips for a healthy holiday season.