Eat This, Not That for the Holidays

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Look at these two dinners: each of them a wonderful, you-deserve-it holiday pig-out. With desserts and drinks, they top out at around 1,700 calories apiece. But the second meal has nearly 75 percent more fat (and lots more saturated fat) and 14 percent less protein than the first feast. Knowing why can help you stay slim this season.

The average American gains 1.05 pounds from October to March, according to one study. Most of that (0.8 pound) comes between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Less than a pound? You can handle this. "You just need to make smart choices," says Kathleen Zelman, R.D., an Atlanta-based nutritionist. Look again at these two meals.

The smart man chooses turkey instead of ham (for more protein and less fat and sodium), and stuffing instead of a roll and butter (nuts, raisins and celery make it healthier). He avoids the stealth fat in mashed potatoes (6 grams of saturated fat) and the obvious grease in gravy (3 g), but loves low-calorie cranberry sauce, full of antioxidants. He doesn't need the fatty goop and fried onions in the green-bean casserole, he scrapes off the marshmallows to get at the healthy sweet potatoes, and he prefers the health benefits of pecans and pumpkin to a calorie bomb of whipped cream. Keep reading to see the other choices you'll face.

At Christmas dinner

Eat this:

8 oz turkey breast

2/3 c stuffing

1 c sweet potatoes

1 slice cranberry sauce

2/3 c creamed corn

Sliver of pecan pie

Sliver of pumpkin pie

Glass of red wine

TOTAL: 1,695 calories, 83 g protein, 190 g carbohydrates, 50 g fat (12 g saturated)

Not that:

8 oz ham

Dinner roll with two pats butter

1 c mashed potatoes

1/2 c gravy

1 c green-bean casserole

Slice of pumpkin pie with heavy whipped cream

Glass of beer

TOTAL: 1,655 calories, 71 g protein, 123 g carbohydrates, 87 g fat (43 g saturated)

At the office

Eat this: 1 handful (1/4 c) roasted pistachios

183 calories, 7 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 15 g fat (2 g saturated), 3 g fiber

Not that: 1 handful (1/4 c) holiday M&M's

256 calories, 2 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat (7 g saturated), 1 g fiber

Why? Besides a better calorie count, higher protein content, and lack of carbohydrates, "The shells on the pistachios slow you down, so you can't eat them as quickly as candy."

Eat this: 1 brownie

227 calories, 3 g protein, 36 g carbohydrates, 9 g fat (2 g saturated), 1 g fiber

Not that: A few chunks of peanut brittle

272 calories, 4 g protein, 40 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat (3 g saturated), 1 g fiber

Why? It's easier to keep portions under control if you're eating a single brownie versus chunks of peanut brittle. Plus, since peanut brittle is primarily made of sugar, it's much less satisfying than the brownie.

Eat this: 3 Hershey's Kisses

73 calories, 1 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat (6 g saturated), 0 g fiber

Not that: 1 1-oz candy cane

111 calories, 0 g protein, 27 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber

Why? Candy canes are pure sugar. "Chocolate is a good source of magnesium, and it contains antioxidants," says Jeff Hampl, Ph.D., an associate professor of nutrition at Arizona State University. Even better: new Kisses made from dark chocolate, which is healthier than milk chocolate.

At Mom's house

Drink this: 8 oz hot chocolate

193 calories, 10 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat (4 g saturated), 2 g fiber

Not that: 8 oz spiced cider

120 calories, 0 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber

Why? "Real hot chocolate made with milk and cocoa is a good source of calcium and protein," says Hampl. "Apple cider has no real nutritional value. It's almost like drinking pure sugar."

Eat this: 2 squares chocolate fudge

140 calories, 0 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat (2 g saturated), 0 g fiber

Not that: 1 iced gingerbread cookie

172 calories, 1 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat (2 g saturated), 0 g fiber

Why? Even a couple of small squares of fudge have fewer calories than a single gingerbread cookie. And the rich fudge is better at satisfying a craving for sweets, says Hampl.

Eat this: spritz cookies with granulated sugar

Per cookie: 47 calories, 0 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat (2 g saturated), 0 g fiber

Not that: 3 Mexican wedding cookies

Per cookie: 100 calories, 2 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat (3 g saturated), 0 g fiber

Why? Spritz cookies have significantly fewer calories, carbohydrates and grams of fat per cookie than Mexican wedding cookies. And considering all the other food you're likely to eat with those cookies, it's best to conserve calories wherever you can.

At the mall

Drink this: 8-oz cappuccino with low-fat milk

73 calories, 5 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat (2 g saturated), 0 g fiber

Not that: 8-oz mocha coffee with low-fat milk

200 calories, 8 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat (6 g saturated), 1 g fiber

Why? Mocha is coffee mixed with sweetened hot chocolate. Cappuccino is just coffee and milk. Want some chocolate flavor? Sprinkle cocoa powder over your cappuccino.

Eat this: 1 Auntie Anne's cinnamon-sugar pretzel

350 calories, 9 g protein, 74 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, 2 g fiber

Not that: 1 Cinnabon cinnamon bun

730 calories, 15 g protein, 114 g carbohydrates, 24 g fat, 2 g fiber

Why? Half the calories and just a fraction of the fat.

Eat this: Small order of TCBY frozen yogurt

140 calories, 4 g protein, 23 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat (2 g saturated)

Not that: 16-oz Orange Julius

220 calories, 1 g protein, 54 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat (0 g saturated)

Why? The yogurt has fewer calories, and the protein and fat will help keep you feeling full until dinnertime.

On New Year's Eve

Eat this: 12 large shrimp with 1/4 c cocktail sauce

165 calories, 15 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates, less than 1 g fat (0 g saturated), 0 g fiber

Not that: 1 crab cake

290 calories, 20 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 19 g fat (4 g saturated), 0 g fiber

Why? Cocktail sauce is primarily tomatoes, so it's very healthy. Crab cakes aren't horrible, but they're fried. Shrimp is pure protein, so it's really good for you.

Drink this: 12-oz Irish coffee with Bailey's

187 calories, 1 g protein, 23 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat (2 g saturated), 0 g fiber

Not that: 3-oz hot toddy

150 calories, 0 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber

Why? They have similar calorie counts, but an Irish coffee tends to be much bigger than a hot toddy, so you can sip it a lot longer and take in far fewer calories over the course of the night.

Eat this: 8 melon balls wrapped in prosciutto

220 calories, 23 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat (4 g saturated), 1 g fiber

Not that: 1 potato pancake with smoked salmon and caviar

383 calories, 24 g protein, 41 g carbohydrates, 15 g fat (6 g saturated), 2 g fiber

Why? The melon and prosciutto has less than 30 calories per ball. The potato pancake is just a slab of oily carbs topped with fatty sour cream.