The holiday season is such a wonderful time. I love all the decorations and lights around town, the cheerful Christmas music, and most of all, the yummy homemade candy and treats. Food is a major part of the Christmas season, and most families have their favorite holiday recipes. The tempting treats can be a struggle for someone who is trying to eat healthy, so I have some tips to help you have a healthier holiday.
- To avoid overeating at holiday parties, be sure to eat healthy meals during the day so you aren’t really hungry when you get to the party. You might try having a light, healthy snack before you go to a party.
- Reduce your portion size. Take small amounts of your favorite treats.
- Listen to your stomach and stop eating when you are satisfied. Too much of a good thing is not good.
- Be physically active. Burn off extra calories by stepping up your exercise routine. Exercise is also a great way to relieve some of the stress that sometimes comes with the busy holiday season.
- Move away from the food table. This reduces the urge to overeat and allows you to focus on spending time with families and friends.
- Modify traditional holiday foods to reduce fat, sugar and sodium.
- Baked Turkey – choose a plain bird over one that is self-basting to lower sodium. Remove skin before serving to lower the fat.
- Gravy – skim the fat off the meat juices to remove excess fat.
- Stuffing – instead of using butter or margarine to add moisture, use fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth.
- Sweet potatoes/yams – Sweeten with apple or orange juice and add ground cinnamon for flavoring instead of adding butter and marshmallows.
- Mashed potatoes – use skim milk, garlic powder and a little Parmesan cheese instead of whole milk and butter.
Not letting yourself have special foods during the holiday season is almost certain to lead to overeating and guilt. Enjoy the holiday season and those special treats by planning ahead and eating in moderation.
