Celebrate a Healthy Christmas with Splenda

Is a guilt-free family feast on your wish list? Does the prospect of Christmas dinner have you running from the scale? Maybe it’s time you expanded your repertoire of Christmas recipes. These healthy picks will please your taste buds and your waistline, too.

• Yum-Meatloaf as a Christmas Dinner Centerpiece

Every family has a traditional meatloaf recipe that is passed on from generation to generation. Most special occasions celebrated by the family are graced with the special meatloaf. You can tweak tradition up a bit and have a healthier version of the Yum-Meatloaf. Check out the Glazed Turkey Meatloaf recipe from the Splenda kitchen. It’s easy enough to prepare this special meatloaf with a tangy, sweet, and healthy Splenda glaze – it only takes about an hour from prep to serving.

You need a pound of ground turkey, half a cup of finely chopped onion, a quarter cup each of quick cooking oats and seasoned bread crumbs, half a teaspoon of poultry seasoning, two tablespoons of ketchup, two eggs, a quarter of a teaspoon each of salt and black pepper, and a tablespoon of Splenda Essentials No Calorie Sweetener with Fiber (Granulated). Combine everything in a mixing bowl. Make sure you distribute the ingredients evenly. Transfer the meatloaf mixture into a 4×5 loaf pan and pat lightly to make sure that everything is well-packed. Set the loaf pan aside and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is pre-heating, you can make the glaze. Mix half a cup of ketchup, half a teaspoon each of dry mustard and poultry seasoning, and a tablespoon of Splenda Essentials No Calorie Sweetener with Fiber (Granulated) in a small bowl. When everything is combined, spread the glaze on top of the meatloaf mixture in the loaf pan. Put the prepared loaf pan into the pre-heated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes.

When the meatloaf is done, take it out of the oven and leave it on the countertop for a few minutes to redistribute the meat juices. To serve, you can slice the meatloaf into ½ inch thick pieces (you can cut it thicker if you want a chunkier slab), and arrange it on a serving platter. If you want, you can make some more glaze for drizzling. The great thing about this meatloaf recipe is that it is low in calories and sugars because of the use of Splenda. This definitely gives you a way to celebrate a healthy Christmas without sacrificing taste and flavor. You can discover more ways to have a healthy but sweet Christmas season with Splenda’s superior taste and flavor.

• Perky Chicken to Match the Christmas Cheer

Roast chicken, chicken barbeque, and fried chicken are regulars on Christmas table spreads. But, these dishes can become quite heavy and trite. Perk up your Christmas table with a new way to serve up a new and healthy sweet with Splenda. Bring the Christmas cheer to your table and let Splenda be a part of your healthy but sweet celebrations. Try the Citrus Glazed Chicken with Almonds for a different poultry dish. It makes use of Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (Granulated) so you do not need to worry about packing on the weight and putting yourself at risk for diabetes. What’s more, you do not have to worry about the taste. This recipe has been tested and proven to taste deliciously flavorful.

This recipe makes use of four 4-ounce pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Start by lining up the chicken fillets on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush the fillets with a tablespoon of orange juice concentrate. Bake in an oven preheated to 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure that you have the right temperature so that the chicken cooks through. Unlike bone-in chicken, it is easier to turn out perfectly cooked chicken fillets.

While the chicken is baking, put two tablespoons each of orange juice concentrate and lemon juice in a saucepan together with half a cup of chicken broth. In a separate bowl, mix three tablespoons of Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (Granulated) and one and a half teaspoons of cornstarch. Stir the Splenda mixture into the orange juice mixture in the saucepan. Simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens to the right consistency. Remove the pan from heat and add a tablespoon of unsalted butter. Sprinkle in a tablespoon each of chopped chives and parsley.

When you are ready to plate your dish, you can opt to go for individual plates or for family style serving. Put a slice or two of the chicken breast on each individual plate, pour some of the orange juice sauce, and garnish with asparagus sprigs. Don’t forget to sprinkle toasted almonds before serving. For family style serving, simply line up the chicken breasts in a casserole dish, pour the sauce in a stream right down the middle, and sprinkle with toasted almonds. You can garnish the corners with orange slivers or maybe even twists of orange slices.

Have a Sweeter and Healthier Christmas with Splenda