Eat Smart this Easter Weekend

There’s no holiday that speaks to the spring season quite like Easter with the cute decorations and delicioso foods that accompany it. This fun celebration is filled with family traditions that often include a festive brunch. Whether you’re hosting an Easter meal or heading off to a family gathering, check out these healthy tips to help you stick to your weight-loss goals:

1. Prepare a healthy frittata or quiche instead of creamy casseroles, which tend to be high in saturated fat. A frittata is simply a “crustless” quiche that is easily topped with chopped vegetables, reduced-fat cheese, or other ingredients. If you’re preparing a traditional quiche, be sure to choose whole-wheat or whole-grain pastry flour rather than white flour when making the crust. Other fresh ideas? Bake eggs with spinach and ham, cook up a smoked ham soufflé, or serve salmon and reduced-fat cream cheese on small rounds of whole-grain bread for sandwiches.
2. Avoid honey when glazing ham and use sugar-free fruit preserves or jams, such as apricot, orange, or, agave nectar. You can also add a sugar substitute or artificial sweetener to the fruit preserves for more sweetness. If you prefer other lean meats, try Cornish hens, lean lamb chops, or sliced pork tenderloin medallions, which all lend themselves to glazing.
3. Season meat using fresh or dried herbs, such as parsley, basil, thyme, mint, oregano, and rosemary, to boost flavor without adding fat. Basil is also great for flavoring baked chicken, soups, and salads.
4. Add vinegars to flavor marinades. For example, mix balsamic vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, herbs, and garlic to create a delicious steak marinade. Or use champagne vinegar (a soft-tasting wine vinegar made from champagne) for marinating lighter meat dishes, such as fish and poultry.
5. Roast or grill vegetables using healthy oils, not butter. Extra-virgin olive oil and canola oil are good unsaturated oils and bring out the natural flavors of roasted and grilled vegetables, such as asparagus, snow peas, zucchini, artichokes, sweet onions, and green and red bell peppers.
6. Forgo the white rolls and bake some healthy scones. Flaky and flavorful, scones are classic brunch treats; you can bake fat-friendly scones using healthy ingredients such as whole-wheat pastry flour, trans-fat-free margarine, fat-free buttermilk, and more.
7. Delight in dessert. Special occasions and dessert go hand in hand. A great choice is a delicious ricotta cheese custard or crustless sugar-free cheesecake topped with nuts and a drizzle of pure almond extract. Enjoy fresh fruit; look for what’s seasonal at the market. If you like the occasional sweet, cut yourself a small piece of cake or select a cookie or a piece of Easter chocolate. Savor it slowly, enjoying small bites.