NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

December 17, 1998

Prairie Fare: Solving the New Year's Day Dilemma

I don't think it requires the services of a political pollster to confirm that many New Year's resolutions will center on losing weight or getting more exercise or some combination thereof. Trouble is, New Year's Day seems like a heck of a time to start paring down the portions. And no one would be unpatriotic enough to start a new exercise routine when there's so much football to watch, would they?

Well, I may have hit upon the perfect solution to this dilemma. How about planning a New Year's Day brunch scheduled in advance of the football festivities? As I see it, this concept serves at least three purposes. First, meeting the early morning demands of the perfectly orchestrated brunch means you won't be able to stay up as late as you might otherwise on New Year's Eve, so you'll be cutting into your auld lang syne-ing. Read into that what you will.

Second, the fullness you feel from eating earlier in the day just might keep you from eating more later on, or at least not as much. Then there's this too: if you schedule your brunch early enough, you might have time to make a couple of trips around the block, or wherever, after you've eaten but before the games begin.

And third, if you use the following reduced-calorie recipe, you'll actually be dieting while you eat (or at least you can try to rationalize it that way). What's more, if you stage a brunch featuring several modified recipes, no one will be able to accuse you of not at least trying to keep your New Year's resolution about losing weight. In the end, you may not lose any weight, but neither will you lose any face.

Potato Florentine Strata
(This recipe comes from the January/February edition of Food and Nutrition Digest, produced by Kansas State University Extension.)
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients:
1 package (26 ounces) frozen country style hash browns, thawed
1 cup minced onion, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 12-ounce cans evaporated fat-free (skim) milk
1½ cups frozen egg substitute, thawed
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbed
1 cup reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup reduced-fat Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
1 10-ounce package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeeze-drained
½ cup marinated sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

Procedure:
Press hash browns with paper towels to absorb excess moisture. In large bowl, combine hash browns, ½ cup onion, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Press potato mixture into 9 x 13-inch baking dish that's been sprayed lightly with vegetable oil. Bake potato mixture at 425 F until lightly browned around edges, about 20 to 25 minutes. When potato mixture is nearly finished baking, whisk together in a large bowl the evaporated milk, egg substitute, ½ teaspoon salt, thyme and more black pepper. Stir in cheeses, spinach, ½ cup onion and tomatoes. Pour mixture into finished crust and bake uncovered at 350 F until center is set, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes before cutting into 10 squares.

What's Your Take on This, Julie?

Holidays are special times, and food plays a central role in the festivities. I'm certainly not going to suggest that you abandon your family's holiday food traditions or turn down party invitations, but there are many ways to modify your holiday eating. By planning ahead, you can still savor the taste while preserving your waist.

To cut fat and calories, try some of the lower-fat products like light cream cheese and light sour cream in place of the regular products in dips and desserts. Use nonstick cooking spray instead of oil when greasing a baking pan. Use 1 percent or fat-free (skim) milk in place of 2 percent or whole.

In most recipes, substituting two egg whites for each whole egg works well. Crushed unsweetened high-fiber cereal can replace buttered bread crumbs. Try cooking the stuffing outside the turkey to cut fat content. If a recipe calls for sausage or ground beef, try using ground turkey, or at least drain fat thoroughly from cooked meat.

But don't make the mistake of using low-fat spreads in your cookie recipes, unless the recipe has been designed for that product. If you do, your batter may literally roll off the pan or at least the cookies will have an unusual and undesirable shape. Low-fat spreads contain a higher percentage of water than regular margarine or other types of shortening.

If you're invited to holiday parties, take some steps to balance the increased calories. Mark the dates on your calendar as a reminder, and then eat lightly earlier in the day. Have a low-fat snack like crackers, string cheese, yogurt, fruit or cereal before you leave for the party. You might also decide in advance how many hors d'oeuvres you will eat. Stick to that number! Head for the vegetables, fruits and breads. Eat salsa and baked tortilla chips to your heart's content. And keep temptation at a minimum by socializing a distance from the buffet table.

Alcohol also contributes a lot of calories to your party total. A can of regular beer typically contains 150 calories, while a 3.5-ounce glass of wine contains about 75 calories and a 1.5-ounce jigger of distilled spirits contains about 100 calories. Try alternating diet soda pop or water with alcoholic beverages. And of course, be responsible—and safe—by choosing a designated driver for the evening.

If your resolutions include healthier eating, Potato Florentine Strata will give you a jumpstart on New Year's Day. One serving contains 215 calories and only 5 grams of fat. It also provides 42 percent of the daily recommendation for calcium, 28 percent of the recommendation for vitamin C, and 57 percent of the recommendation for vitamin A.

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Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136 and Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187

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