Navigating the Christmas dessert table

Too many temptations this holiday season?  Did your friends give you sweets as merde gifts?  Did your neighbors drop off a plate of cookies?  Is Grandma in the kitchen cooking up cakes and pies?  In this post, I will outline some nutritional benefits and pitfalls of common holiday desserts.  The goal here is not to tell you to indulge or abstain, but to give you an idea of what each treat has to offer nutritionally so you can make an educated decision when choosing what treats to eat.

Treat	Pros	Cons
Chocolate	Dark chocolate contains antioxidants and less sugar.	Dark chocolate can taste bitter. White chocolate is not actually chocolate, contains almost nothing of nutritional value, and is high in fat.
Gingerbread	Ginger soothes the stomach if you are concerned about sweets giving you a stomachache.  Cinnamon promotes a healthy immune system.	High fat content in moist cake and chewy cookies.  Frosting is very high in sugar and artificial ingredients if it is colored.
Pumpkin pie	Pumpkin is high in Vitamin A and Beta Carotene, which promotes healthy eyesight, good skin, hearth health, and a good immune system	Crust is often high carb and high fat, pie filling is high sugar.  Not a safe dish for egg allergies.
Pecan pie	Nuts are high in fiber for good heart and digestive health, as well as minerals phosphorous and magnesium	Very high fat, high sugar, and not friendly to nut allergies.
Candy canes	Peppermint soothes upset stomachs and contributes to alertness and concentration, also low or no fat	Very high sugar content, fruity candy canes do not have peppermint benefits, lots of artificial colors
Fruitcake	Dried fruits in fruitcake contain antioxidants and vitamins (usually B for berries and C for citruis).	Usually very high sugar content, also beware of cakes soaked in alcohol.
Cinnamon rolls	Cinnamon promotes immune health, and loading up with carbs can be a good way to refuel after a performance	If you are not active, too many carbs will just weigh you down.  Watch out for high levels of saturated fats in the frosting.
Pudding or custard	Dairy promotes strong bones and teeth.	High sugar, also not friendly to dairy or egg allergies.
Sugar Cookies	Carbs are great post-performance, and one super sweet cookie should keep you satisfied on the dessert front for a long time.	Obviously very high in sugar, and chewy cookies are high in fat.  Watch out for colorful frosting with its saturated fats and artificial colors.
Meringues	Very low calorie and fat free	Not safe for egg allergies.  Do not expect a meringue to keep you energized for long!  Can also be high in sugar.