Healthy holiday treats

Written by Laura Bottom, SIU Center for Family Medicine
Pies, cookies, cakes, candies and fancy drinks make up a delicious holiday season.  According to Anne Daly, SIU Center for Family Medicine registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator, people with diabetes do NOT need to choose between delicious and healthy.  Healthy foods can look and taste great.
Here are some alternative healthy recipes you can make this holiday season. This low-calorie pumpkin pies is one of Anne’s facorites:

Low-Calorie Pumpkin PieSONY DSC
Ingredients:

  • 1-16oz cab solid-pack pumpkin
  • 13oz can evaporated skim milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 egg whites
  • ½ cup biscuit mix (Bisquick type)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 8 packets sugar substitute
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves)
  • 2 tsp vanilla

Preparation:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease or spray 9-inch pie pan with vegetable pan spray. Place all ingredients in blender, food processor or mixing bowl. Blend 1 minute or beat 2 minutes with mixer. Pour into pie pan and bake for 50 minutes or until center is puffed up.

Splenda Gingerbread Cake
Ingredients:

  • 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
  • ¾ cups molasses
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/3 cups Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bundt pan with butter-flavored cooking spray. Set aside. Pour applesauce, molasses and vegetable oil into a large mixing bowl. Add eggs. Stir well. Blend remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl, mix well. Add dry ingredients to the applesauce mixture, stir well. Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cook cake in pan on a wire rack approximately 20 minutes. Invert cake onto serving plate. Serve warm or cool.

Sugar-Free Russian Tea
Ingredients:

  • 4 ½ teaspoons sugar-free orange drink mix
  • 3 ½ teaspoons sugar-free lemonade mix
  • Artificial sweetener equivalent to 16 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container. To prepare one serving, add ¼ teaspoon of mix to ¾ cup (6oz) of hot water and stir well.
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