The holiday season is a time to celebrate with family and friends. Unfortunately, for many it also becomes a time for over-eating and weight gain. You can change this. Focus on a healthy balance of food, activity, and fun. By implementing a few simple tips you can stay healthy through the holiday season.
Keep in mind that these tips are not about "dieting". I don't believe dieting works. It's about maintaining a healthy lifestyle over the holidays so that you don't feel like a total slug come January 1.
Be realistic. Don’t try to lose pounds during the holidays, instead try to maintain your current weight.
Use appetizer plates. Using a smaller plate helps prevent overeating.
Harness the Diet Power of Produce. If you're hosting a party, add more simple vegetable and fruit dishes to your menu instead of heavy dishes with sauces. Your guests will fill up on healthy fiber without lots of extra calories.
Plan time for exercise. Exercise helps relieve holiday stress and prevent weight gain. A moderate and daily increase in exercise can help partially offset increased holiday eating. Short on time? Squeeze in a 15-minute brisk walk twice a day.
Balance Your Meals. Don't fill up your plate with only the rich, high calorie food. Instead, have a little of everything, but be sure to include lots of fruit and vegetables. That way, you'll still be able to enjoy your favorite holiday foods as well as receive an array of important, healthful nutrients.
Watch the liquid Calories. Alcohol can lessen inhibitions and induce overeating. Non-alcoholic beverages can be full of calories and sugar. Even if you're careful, a long evening of holiday cocktails and wine can still add up to a lot of empty calories.
Eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed. Savor your favorite holiday treats while eating small portions. Sit down, get comfortable, and enjoy.
Scan the buffet. Choose your favorite foods and skip your least favorite. Include vegetables, fruits, and foods that are simply prepared to keep your plate balanced. Resist the urge to go back for more by waiting at least 20 minutes for your brain to register that you are comfortably full. If you're still hungry, eat more vegetables and drink water.
Roast or Grill for Rich Flavor. Roasting or grilling meat, seafood, vegetables, and potatoes, is a simple, low-calorie cooking style that brings out the natural sweetness and flavor in foods. Roasted sweet potatoes with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and a spritz of butter spray are delicious substitutes for the traditional calorie-laden casserole.
Bring a healthy dish. Bring your favorite healthy dish to holiday parties. This is great for vegetarians and vegans because you know you have something great to eat besides chips. It also introduces your friends and families to something festive and healthy!
Take the focus off food. Turn candy and cookie making time into non-edible projects like making wreaths, dough art decorations or a gingerbread house. Plan group activities with family and friends that aren’t all about food.
Be Assertive. Don't feel you must say yes to everyone that offers you something to eat or drink. If you are not hungry, then just say so. Don’t let yourself be pressured into eating something that you really don’t want.
Eat Before You Go to Parties. Never go to a party or event feeling hungry. If you arrive to a party feeling really hungry because you have been “saving up” your calories all day, you risk being so hungry by the time you get there that you lose control over how much you eat. Instead, eat well throughout the day, eating small, healthy snacks like a handful of nuts or apple slices and almond butter. And be sure to drink plenty of water. Before leaving for a party, eat a light snack to curb your appetite. You will be less tempted to over-indulge.
Practice Healthy Holiday Cooking. Preparing favorite dishes lower in fat and calories will help promote healthy holiday eating. Incorporate some of these simple-cooking tips in traditional holiday recipes to make them healthier.
Use these tips to take control of holiday eating, not be a slave to your cravings and to the convenience of a party buffet. In the long run, your mind and body will thank you.
Keep in mind that these tips are not about "dieting". I don't believe dieting works. It's about maintaining a healthy lifestyle over the holidays so that you don't feel like a total slug come January 1.
Be realistic. Don’t try to lose pounds during the holidays, instead try to maintain your current weight.
Use appetizer plates. Using a smaller plate helps prevent overeating.
Harness the Diet Power of Produce. If you're hosting a party, add more simple vegetable and fruit dishes to your menu instead of heavy dishes with sauces. Your guests will fill up on healthy fiber without lots of extra calories.
Plan time for exercise. Exercise helps relieve holiday stress and prevent weight gain. A moderate and daily increase in exercise can help partially offset increased holiday eating. Short on time? Squeeze in a 15-minute brisk walk twice a day.
Balance Your Meals. Don't fill up your plate with only the rich, high calorie food. Instead, have a little of everything, but be sure to include lots of fruit and vegetables. That way, you'll still be able to enjoy your favorite holiday foods as well as receive an array of important, healthful nutrients.
Watch the liquid Calories. Alcohol can lessen inhibitions and induce overeating. Non-alcoholic beverages can be full of calories and sugar. Even if you're careful, a long evening of holiday cocktails and wine can still add up to a lot of empty calories.
- One cup of eggnog – without added liquor – has about 350 calories and 19 grams of fat.
- One cup of champagne has about 182 calories.
- One, four-ounce serving of red wine has about 100 calories.
Eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed. Savor your favorite holiday treats while eating small portions. Sit down, get comfortable, and enjoy.
Scan the buffet. Choose your favorite foods and skip your least favorite. Include vegetables, fruits, and foods that are simply prepared to keep your plate balanced. Resist the urge to go back for more by waiting at least 20 minutes for your brain to register that you are comfortably full. If you're still hungry, eat more vegetables and drink water.
If you do splurge, don't beat yourself up, the experts say. Just get right back to normal eating and exercising, and try to do a better job at the next party.
Avoid hanging around the food. If you catch yourself socializing around the buffet table find away to bring to move the conversation into another room that doesn’t have food. When you socialize around food the more likely you are to snack more.
Limit the Sweets. Remember that rich, sugary foods have a way of making you crave even more rich and sugary foods. If you do have a craving for something sweet, try to satisfy it with a piece of fruit or a bit of dark chocolate, or take half a serving of that piece of pie that you just can't resist.
Avoid hanging around the food. If you catch yourself socializing around the buffet table find away to bring to move the conversation into another room that doesn’t have food. When you socialize around food the more likely you are to snack more.
Limit the Sweets. Remember that rich, sugary foods have a way of making you crave even more rich and sugary foods. If you do have a craving for something sweet, try to satisfy it with a piece of fruit or a bit of dark chocolate, or take half a serving of that piece of pie that you just can't resist.
Roast or Grill for Rich Flavor. Roasting or grilling meat, seafood, vegetables, and potatoes, is a simple, low-calorie cooking style that brings out the natural sweetness and flavor in foods. Roasted sweet potatoes with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and a spritz of butter spray are delicious substitutes for the traditional calorie-laden casserole.
Bring a healthy dish. Bring your favorite healthy dish to holiday parties. This is great for vegetarians and vegans because you know you have something great to eat besides chips. It also introduces your friends and families to something festive and healthy!
Take the focus off food. Turn candy and cookie making time into non-edible projects like making wreaths, dough art decorations or a gingerbread house. Plan group activities with family and friends that aren’t all about food.
Be Assertive. Don't feel you must say yes to everyone that offers you something to eat or drink. If you are not hungry, then just say so. Don’t let yourself be pressured into eating something that you really don’t want.
Eat Before You Go to Parties. Never go to a party or event feeling hungry. If you arrive to a party feeling really hungry because you have been “saving up” your calories all day, you risk being so hungry by the time you get there that you lose control over how much you eat. Instead, eat well throughout the day, eating small, healthy snacks like a handful of nuts or apple slices and almond butter. And be sure to drink plenty of water. Before leaving for a party, eat a light snack to curb your appetite. You will be less tempted to over-indulge.
Practice Healthy Holiday Cooking. Preparing favorite dishes lower in fat and calories will help promote healthy holiday eating. Incorporate some of these simple-cooking tips in traditional holiday recipes to make them healthier.
- Gravy — Refrigerate the gravy to harden fat. Skim the fat off. This will save a whopping 56 gm of fat per cup.
- Dressing — Use a little less bread and add more onions, garlic, celery, and vegetables. Add fruits such as cranberries or apples. Moisten or flavor with low-fat, low-sodium stock.
- Turkey – Enjoy delicious, roasted turkey breast without the skin and save 11 grams of saturated fat per 3 oz. serving.
- Mashed Potato — Use skim milk, stock, roasted garlic and olive oil instead of whole milk and butter.
- Quick Holiday Nog — Four bananas, 1-1/2 cups skim milk or soymilk, 1-1/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt, 1/4 teaspoon rum extract, and ground nutmeg. Blend all ingredients except nutmeg. Puree until smooth. Top with nutmeg.
- Desserts — Make pumpkin pie with walnut crust. Top cakes with fresh fruit or fruit sauce instead of fattening frosting. Or serve dark chocolate-dipped strawberries for a colorful and delicious finale.
Use these tips to take control of holiday eating, not be a slave to your cravings and to the convenience of a party buffet. In the long run, your mind and body will thank you.
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