(NC) — With the holiday season and its many indulgences behind us, many people may be feeling a little more than guilty when they start taking into account the number of calories accumulated over lavish dinners, parties and bottomless bottles of wine. It's no surprise that shedding unwanted extra pounds is one of the top New Year resolutions amongst many Canadians. Even with post-holiday consumption remorse, it's hard at times to feel motivated to maintain a healthy diet. However, with some clever choices, Canadians can enjoy some of life's more savoury pleasures without sacrificing quality or taste. One way of cutting down calories is by making simple meal or ingredient substitutions. Using lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil for salads heightens flavours and not the calories of a pre-made dressing from the grocery store. Another easy way to stay healthy is to substitute quinoa for rice, which is high in fibre and iron. Many people cut out wine as a New Year resolution in hopes of cutting back on unwanted calories. Today, however, there are good quality wines that have lower calories per serving than the average glass Enjoy your meal, for example, with a crisp and refreshing glass of wine like skinnygrape by Roundpetal Wines a division of Andrew Peller Ltd. This choice is only 80 calories per 142ml serving, Canadian and affordable – so your wallet post-holidays won't feel the pain either. “When I sit down after a long day at work with a glass of wine, I choose skinnygrape,” says winemaker Heidi Montgomery at Andrew Peller Limited. “Not just because it's lower in calories per serving but also because I enjoy the taste.” Take a look at this savoury dish to pair with skinnygrape Pinot Grigio: Lemony Quinoa / Ingredients:1/4 cup chickpeas, drained1 cup quinoa2 cups watersea salt to taste1/4 cup fresh lemon juice1/4 red onion chopped1/2 cup chopped cucumber(seedless)1/4 cup chopped tomatoes1/4 tsp cayenne pepper1/2 tsp ground cumin1 bunch fresh parsley, choppedMethod:In a saucepan, combine the quinoa, water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly, then fluff with a fork. Transfer the quinoa to a serving bowl and stir in the chickpeas, lemon juice, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, cayenne pepper, cumin and parsley. Adjust salt and pepper if needed before serving. Yield: 6 Servings