Skip to content

Top Navigation

Cooking Light Cooking Light
  • Recipes
  • Cooking 101
  • Eating Smart
  • Healthy Living
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Email Preferences

Manage Your Subscription

  • All Access Subscribers
  • Magazine Subscribers
  • Cooking Light Diet Subscribers
Login
Logout
SUBSCRIBE
Pin FB

Explore Cooking Light

Cooking Light Cooking Light
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 31-Day Healthy Meal Plan

      Our 31-day calendar of meals and tips shows you how to cook more and love it with fun, family-friendly meals that come together quickly and deliciously. Read More
    • Dinner Tonight: Quick and Healthy Menus in 45 Minutes (or Less)

      Hundreds of delicious recipes, paired with simple sides, that can be on your table in 45 minutes or less. Read More
    • Our Favorite Healthy Air Fryer Recipes

      Who ever said that chicken wings, doughnuts, and pizza couldn't be healthy? Read More
  • Recipes

    Recipes

    See All Recipes
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Recipe Makeovers
    • Quick & Healthy
    • Diabetic
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegetarian
    • Cooking Light Live
  • Cooking 101

    Cooking 101

    See All Cooking 101
    • Essential Ingredients
    • Cooking Techniques
    • Meet the Chef
    • Cooking Resources
    • Budget Friendly
    • Smart Choices
  • Eating Smart
  • Healthy Living

    Healthy Living

    See All Healthy Living
    • Weight-Loss
    • Health
    • Fitness
    • Home
    • Travel
    • Nutrition 101
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Email Preferences

Manage Your Subscription

  • All Access Subscribers
  • Magazine Subscribers
  • Cooking Light Diet Subscribers
Login
Logout
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Eating Smart
  3. Holiday Treats with Health Benefits

Holiday Treats with Health Benefits

By Peggy J. Noonan November 25, 2008
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Credit: Iain Bagwell
Feel good about splurging on these 5 foods. Here's why.
Start Slideshow

1 of 6

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Smart Splurges

Credit: Iain Bagwell
Here's some good news about the season of indulgence. If you make smart choices about how you splurge, you can reap the health benefits of certain power-packed foods that are popular on holiday tables.

Consumed in moderation, these 5 foods are research-proven to deliver benefits that range from helping prevent some types of heart disease to reducing blood pressure. Here's our guide to these treats, including the latest research about their benefits and how best to enjoy them.

1 of 6

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 6

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Nuts

Credit: Iain Bagwell
Health benefits: Mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids―the types of fats that have been linked to heart-health benefits. All nuts contain quality protein and fiber, and are excellent sources of vitamin E, folate, and magnesium. English walnuts are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids that may help reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease by decreasing arterial inflammation.
Latest research: People who eat nuts often have lower risk of heart disease. One study shows that eating a small handful (about 11/2 ounces) of macadamia nuts daily helped reduce total cholesterol by 9.4 percent and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by 8.9 percent. Macadamia nuts are higher in monounsaturated fats than other tree nuts. These fats play an important role in regulating cholesterol and keeping levels optimal.
How much to enjoy: 1 to 11/2 ounces, or roughly 1/4 to 1/3 cup. Eat enough to cover the palm of your hand.

2 of 6

3 of 6

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Pomegranates

Credit: Iain Bagwell
Health benefits: Vitamin C, which helps neutralize free radical damage to cells and thus may help prevent certain kinds of cancer. Pomegranates are also rich in polyphenols and high in potassium.
Latest research: Pomegranate juice―specifically juice made from a variety called Wonderful, which is the most widely available type of the fruit available in the United States―tested 20 percent higher in antioxidants than other antioxidant-rich beverages, including acai juice, black cherry juice, blueberry juice, grape juice, orange juice, red wines, and black, green, or white teas.
How much to enjoy: 4 to 8 ounces of juice or half a single fruit.

3 of 6

Advertisement

4 of 6

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Olives

Credit: Iain Bagwell
Health benefits: Monounsaturated fats. They’re also low in calories; one serving of five kalamata olives is about 25 calories. However, olives are high in sodium, so cut back on salty foods elsewhere.
Latest research: Most studies researched the use of olive oil, which, like olives, is a rich source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Other compounds may have a cardio-protective effect. Extra- virgin olive oil was found to have higher levels of polyphenols than refined oils, and resulted in greater increases of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. In addition, the polyphenols may help prevent the arterial inflammation caused by LDL.
Serving size: Approximately 5 to 6 large or jumbo olives, 10 small olives, 5 kalamata olives, or a heaping tablespoon of sliced or chopped olives.

4 of 6

5 of 6

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Chocolate

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Health benefits: Polyphenols and flavonoids, two types of antioxidants shown to help prevent damage caused by cholesterol in arteries.
Latest research: Clinical studies show that dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure. Over time, eating one piece of chocolate―the equivalent of 30 calories―every day lowered systolic blood pressure by 2.9 millimeters of mercury (mm/Hg). This in turn may lower your risk of stroke or coronary artery disease.
How much to enjoy: 1 to 2 ounces. One 41-gram bar of Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate or 9 Hershey’s Special Dark Kisses is just slightly less than 11/2 ounces. Choose dark chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cocoa.

5 of 6

6 of 6

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Wine and Spirits

Credit: Iain Bagwell
Health benefits: In moderation, alcoholic beverages can help reduce cholesterol, maintain healthful blood pressure levels, and control arterial inflammation. Red wine contains varying amounts of resveratrol, an antioxidant from grape skins that can help reduce blood clotting by decreasing platelet aggregation.
Latest research: There’s no doubt that drinking to excess harms the liver. But a recent study reports that modest consumption may help prevent the most common liver disease in the United States, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). In the study, those who consumed one glass of wine a day reduced the risk of NAFLD by 50 percent.
How much to enjoy: One serving per day for women, up to two for men. One serving of alcohol is one 4- to 6-ounce glass of wine, one 12-ounce beer, or 1 ounce of alcohol (liquor such as gin, vodka, whiskey, or the like).

6 of 6

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Peggy J. Noonan

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 6 Smart Splurges
    2 of 6 Nuts
    3 of 6 Pomegranates
    4 of 6 Olives
    5 of 6 Chocolate
    6 of 6 Wine and Spirits

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Cooking Light

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    MeredithCooking Light is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Cooking Light may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Cooking Light. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.cookinglight.com

    View image

    Holiday Treats with Health Benefits
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.