The Bird - 2007

Image courtesy of en.wikipedia.org

Consider this fact presented by Women’s Health magazine: The average person eats 600 additional calories per day between U.S. Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Translation: That’s an extra six pounds. But if you know which foods are the worst culprits for your waistline, you can battle back more effectively…Here they are…:

Worst Classic Holiday Drink: Eggnog
At 350 calories and 19 grams of fat, eggnog, even without the booze, is on the naughty list because it consists of milk, cream and eggs. If you want a festive seasonal drink, choose homemade hot chocolate instead. Just limit how much whipped cream you squirt on top.
Worst Holiday Appetizer: Crab Cakes
When crab is blended with mayonnaise and then rolled in bread crumbs and cooked in a vat of bubbling fat, you end up with an appetizer that weighs in at 400 calories and 19 grams of fat. Each. That’s more calories than three dozen shrimp.
Worst Holiday Party Cocktail: Gin and Tonic
It may taste light, but a gin and tonic has 210 calories and 22 grams of sugar, thanks to the tonic water. Choose Champagne instead for one-fourth the amount of sugar.
Worst Holiday Party Snack: Spinach and Artichoke Dip
In addition to the spinach and artichokes, this dip has mayonnaise, sour cream and cream cheese, which add up to a whopping 285 calories and 17 grams of fat per serving. And that’s without the crackers or chips! If you simply must have some, limit yourself to dip on one cracker.
Worst Holiday Entree: Prime Rib
This coveted holiday cut of beef comes from one of the fattiest parts of the cow, which means you’re ingesting 750 calories and 45 grams of fat with just one serving. Beef tenderloin is a tasty alternative at a fraction of the calories and fat.
Worst Holiday Dessert: Pecan Pie a la Mode
There is no pie that has more calories, fat and sugar than pecan. Even though some of the 810 calories and 65 grams of fat come from the healthy nuts, most come from the corn syrup and sugar filling. A better alternative after a filling heavy meal is angel food cake. Made from egg whites, it’s virtually fat-free.