America’s Best and Worst Holiday Foods

From Uncle George's sparkling Santa Claus sweater to your neighbor's flamboyant light display (viewable from space), the holiday season is a time of unapologetic excess. And nowhere is the spirit of surplus seen more clearly than in our yuletide eating habits. In fact, studies show the average person consumes an extra 600 calories a day between Thanksgiving and New Year's, which translates to an extra 6 pounds of belly fat heading into 2010.

Whether your weakness is mayo-spiked deviled eggs or rum-spiked egg nog, there are more than enough temptations to go around in these merry times. And while everybody is entitled to a bit of indulgence during the holidays, there's a fine line between festive and fattening.

To help you better understand that line, we've pinpointed the very worst of the season's eatings and suggested some satisfying alternatives that should make your New Year's resolution a little easier to attain. You don't have to diet. You don't have to deprive yourself. Just resolve to Eat This, Not That!

Worst Classic Holiday Drink

Egg Nog

• 350 calories
• 19 g fat
• 22 g sugars

With or without added liquor, it's no surprise egg nog is on the "naughty" list: the primary ingredients are milk, cream and eggs. Hot chocolate is just as tasty with nearly one-third of the calories. But beware, cups of hot chocolate from national outlets like Starbucks and Caribou Coffee can be twice as treacherous as the homemade version. Blame excessive serving sizes and heavy dollops of full-fat milk and thick and caloric whipped cream. Stick with the homemade hot chocolate, instead.

Drink this instead:

Hot Chocolate

• 120 calories
• 4 g fat
• 15 g sugars

Worst Appetizer

Crab Cake

• 400 calories
• 19 g fat

This is what happens when poor, defenseless crab is bound in mayo, rolled in breadcrumbs and dropped into a vat of bubbling fat: you end up with a single, calamitous cake that packs more calories than three dozen shrimp. (As bad as it may be, it has nothing on some of the appetizers being served at chain restaurants all year long.) Opt for the crustacean cocktail, but keep your dipping under wraps; most cocktail sauces are light in calories, but loaded with sodium.

Eat this instead:

Shrimp Cocktail (12 shrimp)

• 165 calories
• 1 g fat

Bonus tip: You may be tempted to order an appetizer or side when you’re out to eat, but make sure your extra add-on isn’t one of the worst apps, sides or starters—you’ll only be making next year’s weight-loss resolution that much more daunting!

Worst Cocktail

Gin and Tonic

• 210 calories
• 22 g sugars

You may be shocked to see the light-tasting G&T on this list, but the sad truth is that tonic water contains more than 20 grams of sugar per 8-oz serving, making it nothing more than a glorified 7 Up. Champagne is just as bubbly but contains only one-fourth of the sugar—plus, you can't look classier than you do holding a champagne flute, right?

Drink this instead:

Champagne

• 100 calories
• 5 g sugars

Worst Dessert

Pecan Pie a la Mode

• 810 calories
• 65 g fat
• 55 g sugars

In the wide world of holiday pies, nothing is worse than a slice of pecan. True, some of the fat is healthy fat from the nuts. Most of these calories, though, come from the filling, which is a sickly-sweet sludge of corn syrup and sugar. Fondue, in comparison, is a fun and relatively healthy way to splurge after a big meal. Angel food cake makes an ideal dipper: light, low in calories and—because it's made with egg whites—virtually fat-free. Use fruit instead and you'll save even more calories.

Eat this instead:

Chocolate Fondue

• 340 calories
• 10 g fat
• 28 g sugars

Bonus tip: At all costs, avoid ordering anything from the list of the 15 worst desserts in America.

Worst Snack

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

• 285 calories
• 17 g fat (11 g saturated)

Looking at your Aunt Debbie's recipe for spinach and artichoke dip, you might get confused. Aside from, well, spinach and artichokes, the ingredient list reads like a roll call of the worst offenders out there: mayonnaise, sour cream and cream cheese, not to mention whatever other cheeses Deb likes to throw in to make it hers. And that's without the chips or hulking hunks of bread. Limit yourself to one chip's worth and fill the rest of your snack plate with something healthier, like the classic Italian appetizer, prosciutto-wrapped melon balls.

Eat this instead:

Melon Balls Wrapped in Prosciutto

• 100 calories
• 7 g fat (2 g saturated)

Worst Entrée

Prime Rib

• 750 calories
• 45 g fat

The only thing prime about the prime rib is the price you pay for eating it. This coveted holiday cut comes from one of the fattiest parts of the cow, which explains the thick rim of greasy stuff you must saw through to get to the meat. In fact, you can pretty much guarantee that any time you see the word “prime” on a menu, you’ll be ordering an extra 50 to 100 calories over the next dish, easily. Beef tenderloin is just as tasty with just a small fraction of the calories and fat.

Eat this instead:

Beef Tenderloin

• 165 calories
• 7 g fat (3 g saturated)

Worst Holiday Beer

Samuel Adams Holiday Porter

• 211 calories
• 13 g carbohydrates
• 6 percent alcohol

Winter-themed beers tend to be heavier and higher in alcohol content, so it's no surprise that Sam's seasonal brew is loaded with extra calories. But there are too many quality low-calorie cervezas to ever mess with one that cracks the dubious 200-calorie threshold. Downgrade to Sam Adams light and you'll save 87 calories a pop—no small amount when you consider how much beer some people put down during the holiday season. Sam Adams not your thing? Then find the brew that best suits you. 

Drink this instead:

Sam Adams Light

• 124 calories
• 9 g carbohydrates
• 4.2 percent alcohol