The holidays offer a lot of calories as well as fun with family and friends -- but many of the foods that grace the Christmas table or holiday party buffet are actually very healthy.

"The holidays provide a wide variety of foods we don't get otherwise and it's a good time to eat lots of fruits and nuts -- all with micro-nutrients and essential fatty acids. Turkey is a good source of protein and fish is always good," Dr. Nicholas Perricone told United Press International. "But, try to stay away from the all-day snacking after Christmas dinner of a lot of high carbohydrate desserts and more than one drink of alcohol," said Perricone, an assistant professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., and author of the New York Times best seller, "The Wrinkle Cure."

Therese Franzese, a registered dietitian and director of Nutrition at New York's Sports Center at Chelsea Piers in New York City, said that holiday parties and buffets provide a rich addition to people's diets and an opportunity to eat things that people may not prepare for themselves.

"Shrimp that's not fried is great, as well as sardines and salmon, which are all high in protein, low in fat and high in Omega 3," said Franzese. "I recommend choosing the pecan pie because people normally don't eat pecans and molasses, but take only half a piece which is about 250 calories."

The holidays are a good time to take advantage of baked onions, which are high in phytochemicals. Squash, yams and pumpkin are all high in beta-carotene and dried fruits such as apricots and figs are also good, Franzese advised.

"One way to keep pumpkin in your diet all year is to use it in a smoothie," she said "I don't like the taste of soy milk but it's well disguised when used in place of milk in eggnog, just remember to boil the eggnog to kill any salmonella from the eggs."

Chocolate, especially high-quality dark chocolate, contains flavonoids, a compound that promotes vascular health and protects against coronary heart disease. Red wine also contains large quantities of flavonoids, which act as antioxidants and may lower the effects of "bad" LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. However, both chocolate and wine should be enjoyed in moderation.

Cranberries are considered a holiday food but should be part everyone's diet all year round. Not only can cranberries help prevent urinary tract infections, research reveals that certain compounds such as condensed tannins in cranberries have the potential to reduce the risk of gum disease.

"The cranberry compounds have anti-adhesion properties, meaning the compounds stop bacteria from grouping together and producing dental plaque, which helps to trigger gum disease," said Cindy T. Flanagan, D.D.S., spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry.

"The study highlights cranberries' positive effect on oral health, but more research is still needed to determine the practical application of the cranberry compound," Flanagan said.

An extra large black ripe olive has only seven calories and two grams of fat, with the majority of fat coming from monounsaturates and part of the remaining fats being essential fatty acids.

Olives show up in many holiday foods: folded into rice pilaf or mashed potatoes, served on a relish tray, added to stuffing, tossed in warm and cold salads, baked in breads and as a garnish in martinis. The gin in a martini also contains juniper berries, which are a strong antioxidant.

"Sweet potatoes have more dietary fiber per serving than oatmeal. (They) are one of the few low-fat, tasty sources of vitamin E and contain a two-day supply of vitamin A, 42 percent of the (Recommended Daily Allowance) for vitamin C and 10 percent of the RDA for iron," said Dr. Jack Osman, professor of health science at Towson University, in Towson, Md. and author of "Thin From Within."

Many of the traditional holiday foods are colorful and it's a good rule of thumb the more brilliant the colors the more nutrients because the pigments contain nutrients, according to Mary Meck Higgins, Kansas State University Research and Extension nutrition specialist.

"The holidays provide an opportunity to eat an increased variety of foods because we have a tendency to eat the same foods over and over again," Higgins told UPI. "Every food and spice has something different to offer nutritionally and eating a lot of different foods in moderation is the best advice all year round.

"Enjoy the holidays and enjoy holiday treats but splurge on exercise -- it tales 48 minutes of brisk walking for a person weighing 150 pounds to work off a piece of pumpkin pie with 241 calories," said Higgins. "Add another 5 minutes if you add whipped topping."

According to Jyl Steinback, the author of "SUPERFOODS: Cook Your Way To Health:"

-- Pumpkin provides 1,320 international units of vitamin A

-- Broccoli is the number one anticancer vegetable -- rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C and calcium

-- One carrot a day cuts risk of stroke by 68 percent

-- Honey contains antioxidants that contribute to the prevention of cellular damage as the result of aging.

-- Butternut squash is considered an all around protector food. A single serving can meet the RDA for Vitamin C, fiber, and beta-carotene

-- Raisins are a great source of iron.

-- Mushrooms are healthy too. Portobellos have healing properties and shiitake and maitake mushroooms are known to increase longevity.

　　From Healthy.net