Let’s face it, the holidays aren’t necessarily the best time to think about your waistline. Office parties, home entertaining, and eat-on-the-run schedules can wreak havoc with your weight. But there are plenty of things you can do to hold the line – especially when planning your holiday menu.
Here’s some great effective tips to minimize the extra pounds people to tend to gain during the holidays.
• Think “strategic placement” at holiday parties. While others may worry about locating themselves near the life of the party, try to locate yourself away from the chips and dip, especially if a meal is to be served.
• Don’t “drink away” all your good efforts. No matter how good your strategy is for choosing healthier foods during the holidays, imbibing can be your calorie downfall. The best solution is to alternate your beverages with a glass of water or club soda. You’ll stay better hydrated, plus keep calories in check.
• Snack on “Light Cheddars” like Cabot’s Sharp Light, Sharp Extra Light, Jalapeno Light, and Pepper Jack Light. Each variety offers between 50 percent and 75 percent less fat than traditional cheddars, and all have the great full flavor and cooking properties of Cabot’s regular cheddar.
Be a “Light Conscious” host or guest – Be sure to offer both regular cheddar and Light cheddars to your guests. And it never hurts to bring a little something special to a party so consider making one of the following healthy Cabot recipes for your favorite host the next time you are invited to a holiday party…
(Cabot Light Cheddar is available at Triangle-are grocery stores including Kroger’s, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, and more).
Holiday Cheddar Wreath
Makes about 12 servings
Ingredients:
2 (11-ounce) tubes refrigerated French loaf dough
About 3 bunches fresh rosemary
1 package fresh bay leaves
3 (8-ounce) bars assorted flavors Cabot Cheddar, cut into cubes*
Red and yellow grape tomatoes
Directions:
1. Form two tubes of dough into single ring, pinching ends together firmly. Bake according to package directions (but not slashing tops).
2. Once bread ring has cooled, cut angled trough in top with serrated knife, then pull out more bread to make trough deeper. Place ring on serving plate.
3. Break or snip rosemary into short lengths. Poke holes in side of bread ring with wooden skewer and insert rosemary sprigs, shorter on top and longer beneath. Tuck bay leaves into rosemary. Place platter in plastic bag and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Fill ring with cheddar cubes and tuck in grape tomatoes.
*Try Cabot Light flavors such as: Cabot Sharp Light Cheddar, Cabot Sharp Extra Light Cheddar, Cabot Jalapeno Light, Pepper Jack Light
Festive Cabot Cheddar Tree
Makes 1 serving
Ingredients:
5 (8-ounce) bars Cabot Sharp Cheddar; light, plain and flavored*
Fresh thyme sprigs
Grape cherry tomatoes or olives
1 mushroom
Directions:
1. Cut each bar of cheddar into 1-inch cubes.
2. On large platter or cutting board, arrange cubes in rows to form tree shape, using different flavor for each row and separating flavors with thyme sprigs and rows of tomatoes or olives.
3. For star on top, peel skin from mushroom; press star pattern into mushroom with point of knife.
*Try Cabot Light flavors such as: Cabot Sharp Light Cheddar, Cabot Sharp Extra Light Cheddar, Cabot Jalapeno Light, Pepper Jack Light
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ABOUT CABOT CREAMERY COOPERATIVE
Cabot Creamery Cooperative has been in continuous operation in Vermont since 1919, and makes a full line of cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese and butter. Widely known as makers of “The World’s Best Cheddar,” Cabot is owned by the 1200 dairy farm families of Agri-Mark, the Northeast’s premier dairy cooperative, with farms located throughout New England and upstate New York. For more information on Cabot, visit: http://www.cabotcheese.coop
Cabot Creamery Cooperative is the world’s first cheese maker and dairy cooperative to achieve B Corporation Certification, a validation of its attention to environmental and social impacts on stakeholders.
