Methodist Health System | Methodist Dallas Medical Center | Shine | Winter 2015-2016

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HEALTHY HOLIDAYS: NUTRITION
BUTTERY, FLAKY CRUST. Gooey, fruity fillings. Crunchy, toasted nuts.
There are lots of reasons to look forward to pie this holiday season. If you
don’t, this might be the reason: the guilt that follows.
Let’s be honest: Pie is not known for its nutritional value. Add a whipped
topping or go à la mode, and you’re off the charts in terms of calories and fat.
Caroline Susie, RD, manager of employee wellness at Methodist Health
System, has some consoling news: You can have your, uh, pie and eat it, too.
“This is a special time of year, and food is love,” she says. “If you have a
small piece of pie, there should be no guilt with that. You can indulge in a
small portion of the real deal.
“However, there are ways to trim some of the calories and fat or even
boost the nutrition of your holiday desserts.”
Here are some simple swaps to help do just that:
HAVE A
SLICE OF
guilt-free
heaven
Caroline’s
kitchen
Not ready to experiment? No worries! Methodist
Health System’s manager of employee wellness,
Caroline Susie, has taken the guesswork out of
delicious, homemade, healthier pumpkin pie. Visit
to get the recipe that wowed her family.
Winter 2015-2016 SHINE 17
Egg swaps
»»2 egg whites
for 1 whole egg.
»»¼ cup apple-
sauce for
1 whole egg.
Or keep the eggs
for the protein and
other nutrients!
Making over
your crust
»»“Graham cracker
crust to the
rescue!” Susie says.
“It’s low in fat, and
there are tons of
variations on this.
An alternative is to
try ginger snaps.”
»»Use whole-wheat
flour instead of
white flour.
»»Consider
completely
skipping the top
crust — or both
crusts. Enjoy just
the filling and
the topping.
»»Add nuts or oats
to your crumble
topping. While
this bumps up the
calories, it also
adds some protein
or whole grains.
Butter swaps
(Side note: These
won’t work for
your pie crusts
but are great for
modifying fillings.)
»»½ cup
unsweetened
applesauce for
½ cup butter
(works for
oil, too).
»»1 cup pumpkin
purée for 1
cup butter.
»»1 cup nonfat
Greek yogurt
for 1 cup oil
or butter.
Sugar swaps
»»Stevia or
another sugar
substitute, such
as Splenda®.
»»½ teaspoon
vanilla
extract for
2 tablespoons
sugar. Milk swap
KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND A
BUFFET TABLE? Take the “Holiday
Sweets and Treats Quiz” in our online
Health Library to find out. Check it
out at
»»1 cup
evaporated skim
milk for 1 cup
heavy cream.