Holiday desserts with fewer calories

Who doesn't enjoy dessert any time of the year, but especially at holiday time? Yesterday we went to a neighbor's holiday party, where they had a gorgeous selection of beautifully decorated cookies and cupcakes. Who can resist?

You don't have to give up dessert at holiday time in order to keep your calorie intake under control. Food and Health Communications has these suggestions:

- Fat-free whipped cream – Use portion control because it still contains whole milk and cream.

- Ground spices – These make a great garnishes for holiday beverages and desserts.
- Fat-free evaporated skim milk – This is a great substitution for heavy cream and whole milk.
- Fat-free half and half – This product is excellent because it’s heat stable. Use it in place of regular half and half, whole milk, cream or evaporated milk. It is also nice for coffee and other beverages.
- Fat-free or soy eggnog – These products really save a lot of fat and calories, and we think they taste great!
- Pasteurized egg whites or nonfat egg substitute – These are great for those who don’t want to have the mess of separating eggs. Use 1/4 cup of egg white in place of each egg.
- Sugar cookie dough – This product isn’t any lower in fat or calories than other cookies, but it does help people make a few smaller cookies and not have big batches of cookies sitting around.

I've followed most of these suggestions for years, and no one is the wiser. Shaving calories a little at a time can add up to big benefits - and smaller pants!