Yes, Christmas is just a few days away. I'm sure you have been fighting the battle against all the goodies that are out there to celebrate the holidays. Lots of cookies, cakes, candy, and other taste tempting desserts are offered where ever you go. But did you look for low calorie, less sugar treats to make or take? There are a number of ways to make your cooking and baking healthier, and it has become a trend around the nation.

If you are buying your baked goods, remember to buy the healthiest you can. Desserts made with all natural ingredients are always better for you, and they taste just as good as the ones that are full of all the fat and sugar. Try for organic if you can. They will have labels with all the organic ingredients used. If you can't find baked goods with organic ingredients, then look for ones that are baked in the bakery of the store, brought in from a local bakery or guarantee that they are bakery made.

Again read all the labels and if there are ingredients in there that you can't understand, put the package back on the shelf and buy something where you can understand all the ingredients. Look for low fat and low sugar products. Artificial sweeteners are actually worse for you than sugar, itself. Look for ingredients like low fat or skim milk, olive oil, unbleached or un-processed flour, oat flour, flax seed and low salt content.

If you are baking your own treats for this holiday, remember to buy whole, natural ingredients, and use substitutions like unsweetened applesauce, honey and yogurt for flavorings. Use fresh fruits whenever you can, and if you can't find them fresh, look for frozen since they are not packaged with a lot of preservatives.

Hope you all have a safe and blessed Christmas.