As a nutritionist, I must confess that I’m really concerned about Santa’s health. We all recognize what a huge job he has to do, both mentally and physically. Taking the orders, organizing and supervising the factory, procuring supplies, planning the workload. He may have a bunch of talented elves, but someone has to do the heavy thinking.
And then, there’s the physical part of the job. His cardiovascular system needs to be running well to move up and down those chimneys. His lungs need plenty of capacity, and his muscles need to be limber, well stretched, and strong. Hauling that sack of toys around is a lot of work, and he doesn’t appear to be that physically fit.
His choice of diet really affects his health, and this is how I’d like to help.
First, I’ve seen advertisements of him drinking sugary drinks a.k.a. soda. Cut the soda big boy. You don’t need empty calories. Milk is good, but this year at my house you’ll get a refreshing, cell-hydrating glass of pure Maine water.
Just take a taste of those cookies. You don’t need the whole plate. I know, they’re beautiful and made with love, but appreciate them for works of art, not more heart-depriving calories.
Unless of course, folks put out Holiday Sugar Cookies. These are buttery, melt-in-your mouth simple, sugar cookies. Easily prepared, the dough rolls out well, and cuts into attractive shapes. And they weigh in at just 75 calories each, with 1 gram of fiber. With that much fiber, be careful if you eat more than ten!
Holiday Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 8 tablespoons butter at room temperature 1 stick
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cup whole-wheat flour
- 1½ cup cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil 2 baking sheets.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine butter and sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, beat until smooth.
- Whisk together the flours and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Divide the dough in half and press each piece into a disk. On a well-floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out cookies, rerolling the scraps of dough.
- Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until just golden on the edges. Let cool completely on a rack.
- Makes about 60 – 2 inch cookies.