Ten Delicious Holiday Foods

One thing I love about the holiday season is all of the wonderful flavors and spices that come out this time of year. Ginger, peppermint, pumpkin and apples and cinnamon are some of my favorites. Tomorrow is December, so now is the time to enjoy all of these delicious treats, but the folks at one website are giving us reasons why we shouldn't indulge.

Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha at Starbucks - It's so good, but the 16 ounce size has about 540 calories thanks to syrup, whipped cream and and chocolate. It also packs 76 grams of sugar which is three times as much as you're supposed to have in one day. You can save calories and sugar by ordering a, "short peppermint white chocolate mocha, skinny, no whip." That's the 8 ounce size with sugar-free syrup, skim milk and no whipped cream. That knocks it down to 260 calories and five grams of fat.

Pecan Pie - Pecans are high in calories anyway. Pile on sugar, butter and corn syrup and in the end, one slice can be at least 500 calories, 37 grams of fat and 26 grams of sugar. If you must have pie, apple is always good. It has only 25% as much fat as pecan. I also have a recipe for pumpkin spice cheesecake that you can doctor to be lo-cal with fat free cream cheese, skim milk, sugar free Jello pudding and sugar free Cool Whip.

Fruit Cake - You'd think that because it has fruit in it, it's OK, but nay. One slice can have over 400 calories and 13 grams of fat. It's best to just wrap the fruit cake in tin foil and use it as a door stop, which is what I do anyway.

Swedish Meatballs - These delicious little meat treats can pack as many as 400 calories in just one due to the white bread, butter, heavy cream and salty beef broth.

Plum Pudding - It's also called Christmas Pudding, but whatever you call it, it has 360 calories 15 grams of fat and 30 grams of sugar due to the molasses, brandy and candied fruit baked in a pudding mold that you rub grease and sugar on to.

Eggnog - Sugar, eggs, cream and bourbon make up this boozy holiday favorite, but one cup has 350 calories and almost an entire day's worth of sugar. It also has 150 milligrams of cholesterol which is half of your daily intake. This means Tom and Jerry drinks are also off limits. Eggs are a good source of protein, though. Just sayin'.

Gingerbread - It has tons of flour, sugar and buttermilk in it and one small piece can have 260 calories and 12 grams of fat. The good part? It has a lot of fiber, so there's that and there's always the Gingerbread Man Martini.

Sugar Cookies - They aren't as bad as some cookies, but an average sugar cookie has about 200 calories and 14 grams of sugar. Add on frosting and sprinkles and you may as well just go shopping for bigger pants. Health.com suggests making whole wheat sugar cookies instead, but those are probably as icky as they sound.

Peanut Brittle - It's mostly corn syrup, sugar and butter and it depends on the brand, but one piece can have as many as 150 calories and five grams of fat. If you have three pieces, it's like eating a double cheeseburger at McDonald's with just a little less fat. Peanuts are rich in nutrients, providing over 30 essential nutrients like niacin, folate, fiber, magnesium, vitamin E, manganese and phosphorus. They also are naturally free of trans-fats and sodium, and contain about 25% protein (a higher proportion than in any true nut), so there's always that.

Candy Canes - These are the best of the treats. Not because they're yummy, but because they're only 60 calories. Just don't eat 10 of them. I personally endorse Bob's Candy Canes.

If you want to see what else you shouldn't eat, click HERE.

What's your favorite Christmas treat?