Holiday is fast approaching and so is being a little pudgy. We are all excited for this season because of the foods we are going to be putting our hands on. But are we sure that these foods are healthy?

Healthy eating is all about making wise choices. Try looking for alternative options to cut the calories off your favorite holiday dish.

1. Ham vs. Turkey

Choose Turkey. Turkey provides significant less fat if you skip the skin. In addition, ham has 15 times more sodium than turkey and may contain nitrates. A controversial ingredient commonly found in processed meat, sodium nitrite has been linked to cancer.

2. Soft cheese vs. Hard cheese

It depends. If you are primarily concerned about fat and calories, choose soft cheese because they generally provide fewer calories and lower amount of saturated fats (the bad fat). However, if you are concerned about calcium, choose hard cheese as they usually pack a lot of more calcium per serving.

3. Gingerbread cookies vs. Chocolate dip shortbread

Choose Gingerbread cookies. Gingerbread cookies usually contain at least half the amount of calories, sugar and fat than chocolate dip shortbread. That said, you should know that while gingerbread cookies have fewer calories, they are still full of empty calories with no nutritional values. It is wise to keep this holiday food at a minimum.

4. Candy cane vs. Truffle ball

It depends. If you can restrain yourself from eating more than one piece, either one is fine. One truffle ball provides 85 calories while a candy cane contains about 55 calories. The good thing about candy cane is that it can last a long time, and most people don’t eat more than one piece!

Consider: Although a candy cane has fewer calories and no fat, this holiday food is still loaded with refined sugar and is another example of empty calories food. If dark chocolate is available, it may be a good option. Dark chocolate contains more flavonoids, a type of polyphenol antioxidant, and has been shown to reduce the bad LDL cholesterol in preliminary studies.