Smart Holiday Food Choices

Dec. 3, 2007 — -- The holidays are here and that means more than half of Americans will likely resolve to lose weight on Jan. 1. There are ways to have your cake and eat it too during the holiday season.

Prevention magazine's Liz Vaccareillo offered tips to keep from packing on the pounds today on "Good Morning America."

Avoid Alcohol Calories

Choose an Ultra Brut Champagne: 65 calories per 5 oz. glass, which has 50 percent fewer calories than sweeter varieties or a glass of wine. Sprinkle in fresh berries for an antioxidant boost.

Compare Calories:

5 oz. wine — 125 calories

Apple Martini — 235 calories

Regular Martini — 140 calories

12 oz. light beer — 110 calories

Make Less Food Look Like More

Trick yourself into thinking you're eating more than you actually are. Cut cheesecake into tiny bites/squares (almost like cheese cubes) and insert toothpicks. This will slow the time it takes you to eat a slice.

A study conducted at the University of Rhode Island compared the same group of women on two separate eating occasions and found:

Women consume 646 calories in about 9 minutes when eating quickly.

Women average 579 calories in about 29 minutes when eating slowly.

They also reported being hungrier after eating quickly.

Eating the same slice of cheesecake slower over a longer period of time by serving it in bite-size portions can help you take in fewer calories over a much longer period.

Make the Most of Dark Chocolate

Melt one-fourth cup of dark chocolate with hot water to increase its volume and serve as a dip with fresh strawberries. (Optional: You can add fresh ginger, cinnamon or other spices).

Dark chocolate is rich in anti-aging, disease-protective antioxidants and contains substances that relax blood vessels, lowering blood pressure (important during the holidays when stress levels are high.) One of the latest studies found that eating 3.5 ounces a day lowered blood pressure in people with hypertension.

Italian researchers have also found that women who eat chocolate regularly have higher levels of sexual desire than women who don't indulge.