Goodies Without The Guilt

Even with sugar and fat, is home-baked food healthier than preservative-laden products?
Absolutely. The less manipulated all of the ingredients are, the better for you. That's pretty much what studies are saying across the board. Over time, people are starting to return to the idea that real butter is healthier than substitute butter. The way to eat all of these items that do seem decadent is to remember just eat a little bit. If you're trying to cut back on calories, and you know the holidays are these endless parties, and you're just eating and eating, go out and do those things, but just take half a slice of pie. To make sure I don't overindulge in large meals like this, before the meal, have a little snack so you don't go to the table staving. Load up on celery or carrot sticks. So many people, after eating such a huge meal, plop down on the coach and fall asleep. Why not sit down, enjoy company for a little while, and go on a nice 20-minute walk and move in the direction of burning some of those calories—or at least distract yourself from the guilt.

Any other tips for reducing guilt?
The most underappreciated dessert is panna cotta, an Italian dessert. It means cooked cream. What it is is a really light custard. A lot of times it's flavored with vanilla and made with yogurt. It's bound by gelatin. It's almost like creamy Jell-O. It's richer and more flavorful than Jell-O because it's got some milk in it, or I usually make it with nonfat yogurt. If you do a Google search, you can find a million and one recipes for it. It's light but filling. With some nice fresh fruit, it's healthy.

What about just eating fruit for dessert?
People tend to remember the most simple desserts I've made, like poached pears with a little dollop of whipped cream.

Where should people go to find good holiday recipes?
I usually visit a couple of Web sites—Emeril.com is great. I particularly like it because I know everyone who works in the test kitchen. Another Web site I like to look at is Martha Stewart's Web site. When her recipe is posted, you know it will work. Then I might just do a basic Google search and print out recipes and compare them. I kind of pick the middle of the road when I'm first trying something I've never made.

You run, swim and ride a bike. Do you have any other secrets for not gaining weight on baked goods over the holidays?
I always keep a bar of dark chocolate in my fridge or in my cabinet. I keep things that are the items that a lot of people are like: oh my God, I can't eat that. You can't eat a whole bar of dark chocolate, but when I have a sweet tooth, I can break off a little piece, and I'm content. It's definitely important to indulge, but in a small amount and not all the time. In my mind, a meal is not completely without dessert. For someone like me, who wants dessert seven nights a week, things like dark chocolate or a small biscotti is plenty. It doesn't need to be a whole slice of cake.

© 2008