Christmas season is just around the corner. Celebrating the holidays can mean many different things for many different people. It can be tantamount to shopping and gift-giving, spending quality time with family, friends and loved ones, and eating and drinking and merry-making. Perhaps the scary part for most is the eating and drinking part, since it will only lead to more calories and more weight gain. It has been a long held tradition to cook and eat some delicious food during the Christmas season. The problem is that most food that we have on the table are ridden with fats, carbohydrates, salt and sweets (Candy cane, anyone?)

In order to advocate healthy cooking during the holidays, Davidson Chiropractic will be holding cooking and tasting class sessions at the South Main Square shopping center. Their ads and fliers posed questions about eating and cooking healthy and about making the right choices to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Their recipes in the session will include main dishes such as soup and potatoes, roasted turkey and fruit desserts such as jicama salad and pomegranate glaze.

Healthy cooking is mainly about making the right choices. The minimum thing one can do is by substituting high calorie food choices with low calorie ones. For example, rather than using salt or monosodium glutamate to add flavor, substitute it for spices instead, and experiment with its different textures and flavor, which add to a richer taste and quality of the food dish. When using oil, substitute cooking with olive oil or vegetable oil, which is a much healthier substitute and low in calories. Instead of frying, it is best to boil, grill or steam foods instead. Fried foods are often rich in bad cholesterol, which clogs the arteries and increases the risk for heart disease. On the other hand, boiling, steaming and grilling foods preserve its natural vitamins and minerals. It is also important to add fruits and vegetables to the holiday menu, so as to increase the intake of fiber-rich food that is essential to a healthy functioning digestive system.

Perhaps another consideration when cooking healthy during the holidays is using high quality kitchenware or cookware. For example, using nonstick pans reduces the need to use extra oil when frying food. Dutch oven or crock pots are also good for simmering and slow cooking, because it allows heat to distribute evenly, cooking the food well while conserving its essential nutrients.