Eating healthy does not mean you have to give up all of your favorite foods, or spend the cold winter subsisting on kale chips and celery. Classic cold weather meals like roast beef still have a place in a healthy diet. You just have to cook them a little differently. 

One easy trick to make any meat-based meal healthier is to use lean meat and trim any fat. Not just “excess” fat. Get rid of it all. To make up for the missing “juice” and keep your roast from getting dry, make sure to keep the pan partially filled with low-sodium or unsalted beef broth. This will let you fill the house with that delicious smell of a cooking roast without ending up with a tough hunk of meat at the end. 

The mashed potatoes and gravy need small adjustments as well. For the “gravy,” just use the drippings and juice that collects in the bottom of the roasting pan. Resist the urge to add any “thickeners.” There is a lot of flavor packed into that liquid that sits at the bottom of the pan. For the mashed potatoes, use skim milk or fat-free evaporated milk instead of heavy cream or buttermilk. You can even use low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock or broth for dairy-free mashed potatoes. Mash the potatoes a little longer, and you likely will not even notice the difference.