Don’t just sit there, do something! Unwanted weight gain is NOT a side effect of the holidays. Rather than worrying about recipe modifications (you know what to do), think about the bigger picture.
Enjoy the holiday season with these helpful healthy hints:
- Fight back by being physically active. Be more physically active than usual. Colder months are an excellent time to break a sweat.
- Don’t skip meals with eager anticipation for the evening feast. You’ve been to the feast before. It is not your first time. Treat it like any other meal. Take away its power and eat sensibly throughout the day.
- Don’t go to a party hungry. We lose discretion when starved. Eat a healthy snack, such as a piece of fresh fruit or a low fat yogurt before leaving for a party.
- If you overeat at one meal, eat light at the next meal.
- If you overeat for an entire day, return to your healthy eating plan the next day.
- When you arrive at a party, check out all of the food options before filling up your plate. Be wise. Load up on veggies, both cooked and raw, as well as whole grains, legumes and lean protein (avoid poultry skin).
- Enjoy your favorite holiday treats, but limit the portion. Have a “sliver”. Don’t deny yourself, but don’t go overboard.
- Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Bring a healthy dish to a holiday party, so you will know that there will be at least one “safe”, healthy food item available.
- Plan ahead. Think about where you will be, who you will be with, and what foods will be available. Be in control. If you have an idea about what foods will be available, you can decide ahead of time how you can eat healthy at all social situations. At parties and holiday dinners, we tend to eat beyond our physical hunger level because the food is there, it’s free, and eating is a social activity. Be mindful of your physical feelings of hunger and fullness. Once you know you have eaten enough, pop a mint or stick of gum in your mouth, or get a tall glass of water.
- Choose beverages wisely. Watch out for high calories in soda, fruit punch, eggnog, and alcoholic beverages. Choose water, seltzer, diet drinks, and diet sodas. If you choose to drink alcohol, choose light beers, sugar-free mixers with hard liquor (seltzer vs. tonic water), and Wine Spritzers (white wine diluted with seltzer water).
Get a free copy of “Surviving the Holidaze,” a holiday e-book by clicking here.
Nutritionist at MeredithLissNutrition.com
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Educator in NYC.
Latest posts by Meredith Liss, MA, RD, CDN, CDE (see all)
- How to Eat Healthy during the Holiday Season - December 2, 2014
- What is the Best Way to Lose Weight? - April 16, 2014
- The Do’s and Don’ts of Dining while Dating - January 15, 2014
