Thanksgiving calorie check

By: Joan Chrissos (KRT)
Posted In: Opinion

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

Fabulous food, sharing recipes and spending hours with family and friends at the table.

And, oh, the desserts. Pumpkin cheesecake. Coconut flan. Sweet potato bread.

They’re rich, wonderful and not low in calories or fat.

Now I don’t want to put a damper on your holiday, but maybe take a sliver instead of a slice.

PUMPKIN PIE: On allrecipes.com, I found a recipe for pumpkin pie made with Splenda, the no-calorie sweetener, which brings one slice down to 233 calories, or about 100 calories less than the traditional.

PUMPKIN FLAN: A Latin favorite, this is relatively low-calorie _ 230 calories per serving. But the eggs and milk raise the cholesterol to 102 mg per serving (about one-third of your 300 mg daily limit).

SWEET POTATO BREAD: A Haitian favorite, this is healthier than sweet potato pie recipes, as the bread is made with a banana, plus the potatoes. Calories: 323. Cholesterol: 71 mg.

COCONUT FLAN: Another Latin favorite, you’re entering artery-clogging territory. Calories: 534 (ouch!). Cholesterol: 213 mg (or more than two-thirds of your daily limit).

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE: This is my favorite, but only a sliver. One slice will have you over the edge. (Eggs, cream cheese and sour cream!) Calories: 708. Cholesterol: An artery-clogging 270 milligrams.

Better take a healthy walk after that!

(c) 2005, The Miami Herald.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

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