Cranberry-Glazed Pork Roast

By Kay MacInnis

Thanksgiving has come and gone and now the busy season is at full speed, which means food is everywhere.

This is the time of the year when the average person can gain 7-10 pounds. Studies show that it is much harder to lose weight than gain weight, so the plan should be to maintain your weight during the next few weeks.

This will give you a little room to enjoy a few of your favorite foods – you know, those foods with extra fat, salt and sugar. The key is to adjust the serving size of those options and to eat fewer servings. During your meal prep, think about these few modifications:

1. Go easy on the cheese, nuts, gravy, butter and cream sauces, or recipes adding whipped cream. That includes eggnog. These calories add up quickly.
2. Add simple fruits and veggies instead of traditional casseroles.
3. Roast or grill as much as possible. This is a great way to minimize calories.
4. Incorporate a few simple substitutions when possible—use the lower-fat options when available.
5. Decrease sugar. Try reducing the amount in recipes by a quarter cup or more.
6. Make one modification at a time to your favorite traditional recipes, to see what works.

This is a great time of the year to find a new recipe to add to the table. Try this one!

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs. lean, boneless pork loin roast
• 2 tsps. cornstarch
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. grated orange peel
• 2 tbsps. sherry (cooking sherry has more salt , so use regular sherry)
• 1 can whole-berry cranberry sauce

Preparation:

• In a small saucepan, stir together all ingredients except pork.
• Cook, stirring over medium heat until thickened; set aside.
• Place roast in shallow baking dish.
• Pour half the sauce over roast and bake at 325° for 45 minutes, until internal temperature is 155-160°.
• Let stand 10 minutes before slicing, and serve with remaining sauce.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrition information: 302 Calories, 14 grams fat, 69 mg. cholesterol, 103 mg. sodium.

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This is another in a weekly series of healthy recipes from Kay MacInnis, registered dietitian at Providence Hospitals in Columbia.

Kay works in Health and Wellness at Providence, helping cardiac and diabetes patients eat their way to healthier lives. She’s not a chef herself, but in consultation with the actual chefs at Providence, she’s learned a lot over the years as she has worked to help patients help themselves after they leave the hospital.

She also conducts a number of health and wellness events for the public, including the monthly Providence Cooks! classes.

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