It can be a challenging time of year to make healthy choices.
But healthy holiday eating is possible.
Here are some tips for making favorite recipes healthier:

• Cut the sweetness. When making pumpkin pie or eggnog, reduce the amount of sugar by half and enhance "sweetness" by adding a bit more vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon. If recipes call for sugary toppings like frosting, jams and syrup, use fresh fruit instead.
   
• Shake the salt out. You can reduce salt by half in most recipes too. Also go easy on salty condiments, such as pickles, catsup, mustard and soy sauce. Instead offer cucumber slices and fresh tomato or fruit salsas. Or try lower-sodium versions of mustard and soy sauce. In recipes, substitute fresh herbs and flavored vinegars for salt.
   
• Trim the fat. In baked goods you can cut the fat by about half and replace it with unsweetened applesauce, prune puree or mashed banana. Instead of full-fat condensed milk, use condensed skim
  
  www.mayoclinic.com