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Calories & Fat in Popular Holiday Dishes

This list will give you an idea of how many calories and grams of fat are in popular holiday dishes, demonstrating why the average person gains weight over the holiday season! A typical holiday dinner alone can carry a load of 3,000 calories. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here is an assortment of recipes for a lighter holiday menu.

APPETIZERS/DIPS/SNACKS

Food ItemServing SizeCaloriesFat Grams
Olives (green)1/2 cup778g
Cheeseball (w/ nuts)2 Tbsp24620g
Mixed Nuts1/2 cup40735g
Crackers101777g
Potato Chips (regular)1 oz. (10 chips)15010g
Potato Chips (fat-free)1 oz. (10 chips)750g
Tortilla Chips (regular)10 chips1407g
Tortilla Chips (fat-free)10 chips901g
Onion Dip2 Tbsp.605g
Ranch Dip2 Tbsp.706g
Popcorn (microwave, w/oil)2 cups1408g

SOUPS

Food ItemServing SizeCaloriesFat Grams
Oyster Stew1 cup21213g
Mushroom Soup (w/beef broth)1 cup854g

MAIN DISHES

Food ItemServing SizeCaloriesFat Grams
Roasted Turkey (no skin)4 slices (4 oz.)1906g
Baked Ham (fresh, cooked)3 slices (4 oz.)34521g
Beef Brisket (cooked, lean)3 slices (4 oz.)29115g
Beef Pot Roast3 slices (4 oz.)38727g
Rib Roast3 slices (4 oz.)33621g
Steak (broiled, lean)1 medium (5.5 oz.)31013g

SIDE DISHES

Food ItemServing SizeCaloriesFat Grams
Cornbread1 square1525g
Biscuit1 2″ roll1065g
Crescent Roll11006g
Cornbread Stuffing1 cup36318g
Bread Stuffing1 cup35517g
Giblet Gravy (w/milk and flour)1/2 cup17813g
Pearl Onions (w/cream)1 cup31618g
Sweet Potato Casserole1 cup2766g
Mashed Potatoes1 cup2388g
Green Bean Casserole1 cup1438g
Squash Casserole1 cup1585g
Vegetables (raw)1 cup200g
Collard Greens (cooked)1 cup350g
Black Eyed Peas1 cup1961g
Red Cabbage (cooked)1 cup320g
Carrots (glazed)1 cup21712g
Cranberry Sauce1/2 cup2090g
Turnip Greens1 cup290g
Waldorf Salad1 cup19213g
Carrot-Raisin Salad1 cup41930g
Cranberry/Walnut Salad1 cup34812g
Potato Salad1 cup27715g

BEVERAGES

Food ItemServing SizeCaloriesFat Grams
Eggnog (w/whole milk and alcohol)1 cup43919g
Eggnog (w/o alcohol)1 cup34219g
Wine (dry, red or white)7 oz.1420g
Wine (lite)7 oz.1020g
Wine Spritzer7 oz.910g
Beer12 oz.1480g
Beer (lite)12 oz.1010g
Cranberry Juice Cocktail1 cup1400g
Apple Juice/Cider1 cup1170g
Tea (Sweet)1 cup370g

DESSERTS

Food ItemServing SizeCaloriesFat Grams
Cheesecake1/12 of 9″ cake41225g
Apple Crisp1 cup4029g
Pumpkin Pie (w/o whipped cream)1/8 of 9″ pie32315g
Apple Pie1/8 of 9″ pie35617g
Pecan Pie1/8 of 9″ pie45621g
Mince Pie1/8 of 9″ pie43416g
Sweet Potato Pie1/8 of 9″ pie29514g
Coconut Cream Pie1/8 of 9″ pie42924g
Ice Cream (regular, vanilla)1 cup26715g
Bread Pudding1 cup31110g
Rice Pudding1 cup3034g

EXTRAS

Food ItemServing SizeCaloriesFat Grams
Butter1 Tbsp.10211g
Whipped Cream2 Tbsp10311g
Whipped Topping (nondairy, frozen)1 cup23919g
Whipped Topping (nondairy, pressurized can)1 cup18416g

AND DON’T FORGET, CALORIES STILL COUNT!

  • Use sugar-free gelatin instead of regular gelatin in your favorite salad (8 versus 70 calories per 1/2 cup serving)
  • Use fat-free soup in your favorite casserole (fat-free mushroom soup has 70 calories per 1/2 cup serving vs. 120 for the regular)
  • Use chicken bouillon to simmer the celery and onions for your turkey stuffing — instead of sautéing them in butter. (one bouillon cube has 5 calories, a tablespoon of butter has 102 calories)
  • Try low-calorie cranberry juice cocktail (40 calories per 8 oz. serving) in place of the regular (140 calories).
  • Light sour cream (35 calories per 2 tablespoon serving) has about half the calories of regular sour cream (60 calories per serving). Fat-free sour cream has 25 calories per serving.
  • Fruit pie filling has 90 calories per 1/3 cup serving; the light version has 60 and the new no-sugar-added version only has 35.

This article was originally published in 2013 and evaluated for content accuracy in November 2021. 

faq2Do you have questions about low-calorie sweeteners? Want to learn more about maintaining a healthy lifestyle? You asked and we listened. Our resident Registered Dietitians answered the most popular questions about low-calorie sweeteners.

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