12/11/01 Ho, ho, ho, who would know how much Santa eats?

Ho, ho, ho, who would know how much Santa eats?

American Dietetic Association offers ways to keep Santa trim

December 11, 2001

Media contact: Bridget McManamon, Lori Ferme or Tom Ryan
800/877-1600, ext. 4769, 4802 or 4894

CHICAGO -- Santa Claus is known for his pudgy cheeks and round belly. So what makes Santa pack on those pounds? It might be all those Christmas Eve snacks.

According to the American Dietetic Association, if Santa drinks a glass of whole milk and eats two butter cookies at every American household he visits that night, he will consume more than seven billion calories and 384 million grams of fat!

"While it is estimated that most people gain five to seven pounds during the holiday season, it's obvious that Mr. Claus gains tons more -- literally," said registered dietitian and Philadelphia-based ADA spokesperson Althea Zanecosky. "But we can all help keep ourselves on Santa's good list by offering him some healthful alternatives this year."

ADA offers these suggestions to keep Santa -- or his helpers at your house -- jolly and able to squeeze down everyone's chimney:

  • Try skim milk instead of whole, saving 64 calories and eight grams of fat for each glass
    he drinks
  • Offer Santa "skinny nog" -- a mixture of skim milk and low-fat eggnog -- or use dry eggnog
    mix with skim milk to save 145 calories and 18 grams of fat per serving
  • Leave Santa gingersnaps or graham crackers in place of higher-fat cookies, conserving
    169 calories and eight grams of fat per serving

According to Zanecosky, carrots, celery, apples and pears are great treats for Santa and his reindeer alike. "With a little planning, it will be easy to expand Santa's food choices without expanding his waistline."

With nearly 70,000 members, the American Dietetic Association is the nation's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. Based in Chicago, ADA serves the public by promoting optimal nutrition, health and well-being. For more information, visit ADA's Web site, http://www.eatright.org.

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Editor's note: Santa's caloric and fat intake was calculated by multiplying the nutrient values of the milk and cookies by the total number of U.S. households with children under 18 years of age as reported in the Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2000.