Christmas foods always have a bad reputation of being unhealthy as they are often cooked in a lot of sugar, butter, and cream. But when you take a closer look of some Christmas foods ingredients, they actually provide great health benefits. Healthy ingredients and cooking methods such as grilling, roasting, poaching, and steaming should be use when making Christmas dishes, so people can still enjoy healthy eating during the festive season.

Turkey - The Leanest Poultry of All
Turkey is a good protein source. A palm-size piece of turkey provides 30 grams of protein with only 3 grams of fat. It is also a very good source of zinc and selenium. Adequate intake of zinc increases immunity and helps the body to fight infection during winter; while selenium which is a strong antioxidant can reduce cancer risk. When eating turkey, one should remember to remove the skin and choose more turkey breast as it is lower in fat as compared to wings and legs.

Potatoes, Carrots and Pumpkin - The Good Starchy Vegetables
Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and pumpkin are often used as side dishes during Christmas. They are low in fat and loaded with carbohydrates, dietary fiber, potassium and vitamin C. Carrots and pumpkin are also rich in beta-carotene. Adequate intake of dietary fiber can stimulate bowel movement to prevent constipation and colon cancer; vitamin C and beta-carotene increase cell regeneration and reduces risk of heart disease; and potassium can help lowering blood pressure. Steaming, poaching and roasting are healthy cooking method for starchy vegetables as very little oil is use. Avoid glazing or deep-frying as it would increase sugar and fats intake respectively.

Cranberry - The Magic Fruit
Fresh cranberry is only available during Christmas season, but frozen and dried cranberry can be found all year round. Cranberry sauce has no fat, low in sodium, rich in vitamin C, dietary fiber, and proanthocyanidins which is a powerful antioxidant. Medical research showed that cranberry are effective in preventing urinary tract infection and bladder infection; and its content of antioxidant can reduce oxidative damage to cells which might lead to heart diseases, cancers and other degenerative diseases. Fresh cranberry itself tastes bitter and sour, so sugar is often added for sweetening. To avoid excessive sugar intake, one can use heat-stable artificial sweetener or diet cranberry juice when making sauces.