With the holiday season in full swing it is easy to find yourself eating all those decadent sweets, treats and salty snacks. Don’t be dazzled by veggies made over with those fatty extras that will be sure to tip the scales. Plan ahead and don’t go hungry and learn to moderate your holiday treat intake. One sure way is to drink plenty of water. Dehydration can mimic hunger making you want to eat more. Water also helps curb the need to drink more of those holiday sweetie drinks.

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Spinach Artichoke Dip

Don’t be confused by the spinach in this dish. As little as 1/4 cup of dip will set you back 220 calories and 22 grams of fat. And that’s just the dip. Add a small handful of fried tortilla chips to the mix and that will up the calorie count to 320. Stick to chips and salsa. Although they don’t have that creamy yummyness the spinach dip has they pack much less fat and calories.

Vegetable Egg Rolls

Just ONE veggie roll can have 150 to 200 calories. If you eat three rolls, you’ve just had a lunch! Sure, veggie egg rolls may seem like good choices because they’re loaded with veggies, but don’t forget that those veggies are slathered with oil, covered with salt, and fried. If you’re craving vegetables, just go for the veggie plate. Be careful about what you use for dip or better yet, skip the dip.

Tuna Tartare

Like sushi, tuna tartare can start out healthy and quickly end up unhealthy when you consider how it’s prepared. Just one appetizer of tuna tartare may contain more than 350 calories and 12 grams of fat. If you want to indulge, cut calories by taking the tuna and toppings off the bread.

Vegetable Quesadilla

Even with whole-wheat tortillas and a medley of vegetables, an entire quesadilla can easily reach 586 calories. Along with those calories, this cheesy appetizer can pack 33 grams of fat. Just one slice will still cost your diet about 146 calories and 11 grams of fat. With so many other options, it may be best to skip this one entirely.

Pigs in a Blanket
It’s so small, it can’t hurt, right? Well, each little piggie in a blanket contains 70 calories and 5 grams of fat. Keep this appetizer to minimum—like one or two.

Creamy Soups
If you’re in the mood for soup, choose broth-based soups over cream-based ones. Cream-based soups can contain fatty additives, such as whole milk, cheeses, sour cream and other calorie-rich ingredients.

Spanakopita
These spinach-filled tasty appetizers are about 80 calories each and contain 4 grams of fat. Having one certainly won’t hurt your diet. Just be mindful to consume thoughtfully, especially if you plan to eat a meal later.

Mixed Nuts

This is a hard one in our house as we eat a tonne of nuts!

Nuts are some of nature’s great gifts to us. However, many mixed-nut packages come with candy-coated cashews, roasted and salt-laden peanuts, and other types of less-than-stellar nut varietals. Just a handful can quickly add up to 340 calories. If you want some nuts, opt for raw almonds. Or make your own mix from various raw nuts.

Chocolate
You didn’t think we could forget our favorite holiday treat, did you? This time of year chocolate is everywhere. An occasional small bit of chocolate isn’t going to hurt you. As with any rich and indulgent food, moderation is key. If you want a square, reach for dark chocolate since it contains more antioxidants than milk chocolate.