It’s holiday season, and you know what that means: family, friends and more food-centred get-togethers than at any other time of the year. Whatever holiday you celebrate, you will be enjoying special foods wrapped in delicious memories.
But let’s face it: With so much food lovingly prepared, it’s easy to overindulge and end the year with a few extra unwanted pounds. The good news: With a little thought and preplanning, you can make smart choices and still enjoy the celebrations.
Here are some tips to help navigate your way through the festive season:
- Make a plan: Every day isn’t a party or a big dinner. On non-party days, eat healthy meals with lots of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains. Sneak in a workout that can help burn off some extra calories and relieve holiday stress. If you don’t have time for a workout, try a 15-minute power walk. Make your holiday goal to maintain your weight by balancing party eating with your everyday meals.
- Practise mindful eating: Be aware of all that’s around you and the triggers that encourage you to eat. If stress is a trigger to overindulge, try some non-food ways to cope. Steal a few minutes every day from your busy schedule to do something nice for yourself.
- Eat what you love: Give in to temptation – in moderation. Don’t deny yourself all the traditional foods you enjoy. Give yourself permission to eat foods you love that are special this time of year. Pick something delicious, have smaller servings, savour every mouthful, eat slowly and really enjoy it. But, pass on everyday high-calorie party foods like store-bought cookies, chips and wings that you can eat anytime.
- Don’t go hungry: Have a little something before you head out to an event – a low-fat latte, yogurt, a bowl of soup, a piece of cheese with a cracker or a piece of fruit. When you get there, you won’t be ravenous, so you’ll be able to be more discriminating in your choices.
- Choose wisely: At a party, begin with the lower-calorie, lower-fat items. If it’s a buffet, decide on three or four things that look great. Take small portions of each, then walk away from the table and enjoy them. Stay away from the bowls of nibbles, where it’s easy to absent-mindedly munch. If possible, choose a smaller plate and you will likely eat less. At a cocktail party, hold your drink in your right hand, if you are right-handed. It will make taking food a little bit difficult and maybe you’ll eat a little less. Always start with less than what you think you’ll eat, and you may be surprised how little it takes to satisfy you. And remember that conversation is calorie-free!
- Cook healthy: Have a bowl of mandarin oranges or cut-up raw vegetables on the counter for snacking while you’re cooking. Add fibre to your holiday favourites by making stuffing with whole-grain bread and/or brown rice, and add extra vegetables and fruit such as diced red pepper, apples and pears. Take the skin off the turkey before you serve it and defat the gravy. Replace part of the butter used for creamy mashed potatoes with low-fat sour cream at a fraction of the fat content. Cut your holiday baking into smaller pieces. When your party is over, send leftovers home with friends or package them into dinner meals and freeze for later.
- Give guilt a holiday: Don’t feel badly if you overeat or feel that you’ve made poor choices. Realize that a day of indulging doesn’t have to sabotage your best-laid plans. It’s just one day or one event, and it will be much easier to get back on track if you don’t do a big guilt trip on yourself. Remember to enjoy the holidays and take advantage of some leisure time to get out and be active.
