Keep Christmas Eggnog Safe and Healthy

Christmas is only a day away and that means it’s time for some eggnog! Before you go whisking the eggs and adding the heavy cream, get some tips to keep your eggnog healthier this holiday!

This post was written by Nutritioulicious contributor Tiana Yom, MPH, CHES

Holidays are all about great food and drinks with wonderful company. Eggnog is a scrumptious holiday drink, but consuming raw eggs can be risky and the calories can add up when eggnog is made with whole milk, heavy cream, and a decent amount of sugar. As Jessica mentioned in Holiday Party Do’s and Don’ts, an 8-ounce cup of eggnog has roughly 350 calories!  Don’t despair – there are ways to enjoy this holiday treat without worrying about getting sick and putting on the pounds (save them for your holiday cookie swap!).

First, some eggnog food safety tips from the FDA:

• Cook the mixture gently to an internal temperature of 160° F, stirring constantly. The cooking will destroy Salmonella, if present. At this temperature, the mixture will firmly coat a metal spoon.
• After cooking, chill the mixture before adding the rest of the milk and other ingredients.
• Don’t count on alcohol to kill bacteria.

A cooked egg base for eggnog is especially recommended when serving to young children, pregnant women, older adults and/ elderly. There are other safe eggnog options such as egg substitute products and pasteurized eggs, like Davidson’s Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs.

Now, some lightened-up (and safe) recipes from fellow food bloggers (pictured above clockwise from left to right):

Eggnog Smoothie from Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen

Eggnog Recovery Smoothie (#Safenog) from Diane @ Cape Fear Nutrition

Light Eggnog from Sally @ Twellman Nutrition

Raw Cashew Nut Egg(less)nog from Sylvia @ Health Yummies

What is your favorite Eggnog recipe?