We all tend to indulge during the holiday season. A party on a work night, an extra drink when you’re out with friends, overspending on just one more gift. And then there are the meals and sweets. Who hasn’t left the table during the holidays wishing you were wearing elastic-waist pants?

The average American eats a lot of extra calories during a holiday dinner.

Between Thanksgiving and the end of the year, it’s not uncommon to see a 10-pound weight gain. If an individual is not careful, what’s gained during the holidays could stick around all year.¹

Luckily, it’s possible to add a dash of health and lighten up desserts. Keep the flavor without missing calories or fat. Try these healthy hacks:

Less sugar

You can lower sugar content in recipes by replacing granulated sugar with dry sweeteners like sucralose or stevia. Both are much sweeter than sugar. Before making the substitution, try using them in coffee, tea or cereal to determine how much you want to use. In the case of corn syrup, try using fruit juice or molasses instead.

Less fat

Fat from butter and oil adds moisture and flavor and makes us feel full. To keep your baked goods dense and delicious, try these substitutes:

Use mashed avocado or banana instead of the butter or oil in a one-for-one substitution.
Use half of the butter required with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce.²
Replace ⅓ cup of oil with 1 cup of milled flaxseed.³

Add flavor

Spices add plenty of flavor without adding sugar or fat. Add flavor to your recipes by adding spices. You can also add nutritious and delicious ingredients like dark chocolate, maple syrup, almond flour, walnuts, citrus zest and berries to enhance your flavors.

More fiber

In some cases, fiber helps offset carbohydrate counts. Try using oat flour in place of regular white flour or adding unflavored fiber powders, finely ground flaxseed or chia seeds. As a bonus, this could reduce calories.

Try out these new tactics on your favorite recipes or try some of ours below.