The holiday season is in full swing, which probably means numerous parties and get-togethers centered around food and drinks. This should be a season about enjoying the company of family and friends, but sometimes it means a season of stressing about weight gain and surviving parties with all of your favorite foods. With just a few simple tips, you can enjoy seasonal foods mindfully without the stress.
- Eat at regular meal times before the night of a big holiday party.
- A lot of people think they should wait all day and save their appetite for the big dinner that they have coming up that evening. Skipping your regular meals during the day can cause binge eating and might actually result in you eating more than you would have if you ate your normal breakfast and lunch that day. Try having meals that are high in fiber and protein by incorporating foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts/seeds, and lean proteins during the day.
- Avoid mindless eating
- Follow the plate method during your holiday dinner. Try to make a plate that includes a ½ plate of fruits and vegetables, a ¼ plate of protein, and a ¼ plate of whole grains/starches. This will allow you to savor foods you enjoy without going overboard on portions.
- It seems like socializing always happens in the kitchen, which is also the place where the food is usually displayed. Move conversations to areas of the house where there isn’t food sitting out so you aren’t tempted to mindlessly snack on foods you even might not actually like!
- If you need to bring a dish, try swapping out a few ingredients in your favorite recipes to make them a little bit healthier.
- Fat-free Greek yogurt can be a great replacement for sour cream or mayonnaise in dips.
- Using low-sodium broth in place of some of the butter and milk in your mashed potatoes.
- Substitute applesauce for some of the butter in sweet recipes. Replace half the amount of butter in your recipe with applesauce.
- Swapping olive oil for butter in savory recipes.
- Using two egg whites in place of one whole egg.
The Department of Food and Nutrition at Thorek Memorial Hospital hopes that you savor the season this holiday and have a happy and heathy New Year!