Those who want to welcome a new year with their loved ones, friends and family are making plans to prepare tables with a variety of dishes for this special evening. You can listen to the advice of experts for a healthy table. Stating that turkey, a New Year's Eve classic, is a balanced main course, experts recommend consuming turkey with boiled seasonal vegetables and salad. Pointing out that side dishes are very caloric due to the fat they contain, experts recommend consuming fruit and plenty of water instead of dessert.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Nutrition and Diet Specialist Özden Örkçü gave advice on how healthy New Year's tables should be.
Turkey should be consumed with seasonal vegetables
Stating that turkey, which is associated with New Year's tables, is a balanced main course option, Örkçü said, "Because turkey is one of the fatty meats with low fat content. Its cholesterol content is low and easier to digest. It is rich in B3 and B6, zinc and selenium. If you fill your plate with boiled seasonal vegetables such as red cabbage, carrots, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, you will make a good choice."
Beware of "hidden" calories in side dishes
Özden Örkçü noted that another issue that should be considered is the auxiliary dishes and made the following recommendations:
"Appetizers; deli products such as salami, bacon, shellfish such as shrimp, squid or other mayonnaise appetizers are very caloric. You can have some cheese on your plate instead. Melon, cherry tomatoes, smoked turkey or smoked salmon are allowed tonight. You can garnish the cheeses with various spices and flavored herbs and serve them on wooden skewers. Spread labneh cheese on whole wheat crackers or prepare canapes with tuna or salmon. You can put cheese inside mushrooms, let them melt slightly and serve them. Olive oil dishes made by mixing zucchini and eggplant with yogurt are light options. You should stick to just four options. You should not forget the salads, which are indispensable for the New Year's table as they are for every table; you can prepare several types. Using pomegranate to decorate the seasonal salad with lettuce will add both visuality and flavor."
Stating that instead of heavy syrupy desserts for dessert, light dairy desserts or fruit desserts that will not tire the stomach too much can be preferred, Özden Örkçü said, "Pumpkin dessert, which is one of the easiest desserts to make, is also a complete winter season dessert. Apart from pumpkin dessert, you should prefer light fruit desserts such as quince and pear. It would be a great choice to share your dessert with someone. A fruit plate with 1 slice of pineapple and 1 banana can also be a good option."
Alcohol dehydrates the body
Stating that alcoholic beverages dehydrate the body, Özden Örkçü said, "Drink plenty of water before, with and later in the night. Considering that you will sit until late at night on New Year's Eve and be in a constant snacking state, you should drink more water. If you want to consume nuts, hazelnuts and walnuts containing vitamin E and Q-3 should be preferred, since their fat content is high, their consumption should not exceed 1 palm. Food consumption should be terminated 2 hours before bedtime," he advised.
