Tips for Healthy Holiday Eating
It’s easy to overeat and overindulge on both food and drink during the holiday season. In this post, we will discuss some tips and tricks for healthy holiday eating while still sticking to your weight loss or weight management goals.
Approach the Holiday Season in Stride
While the holiday season is over six weeks in length, most people only celebrate two to three holidays over that time. Instead of approaching the time between Thanksgiving and New Years as a free for all, try to stick to your normal nutrition plan. You can still enjoy your favorite foods and indulgences on the holidays themselves, but try to limit any extra indulgences to the actual holidays or during holiday parties rather than every day from November to January.
Have a Light Snack Before Holiday Parties
If you are planning on attending a lot of holiday parties this year, you may want to consume a light snack beforehand. Try a small turkey sandwich or a Greek yogurt with fruit an hour before the party. If you have a light snack prior to the event, you won’t show up ravenous. This will help you make better choices at the event without giving in to a total food frenzy.
Balance Your Holiday Plate
Creating a well balanced holiday plate is easy and will help you manage your overall calorie intake on the holidays. Fill half your plates with greens or vegetables, a quarter with protein and a quarter with carbs at holiday meals. For holiday desserts, fill a small dessert plate with one or two small treats or cut the smallest possible slice of a few desserts to sample.
Go Easy on Sauces and Gravy
Holiday sauces and gravy can easily add hundreds of calories–but not much satiation or nutrition–to holiday meals. Instead of serving yourself sauces or gravy with a ladle, try using just a tablespoon or so of gravy or sauces at your next holiday gathering. You probably won’t notice much difference, but you will save hundreds of calories by portioning out sauces and gravy more conservatively.
Go Smart on Holiday Protein
Holiday protein can help you stay satiated, but you want to choose holiday protein carefully. Shrimp, salmon, turkey, chicken or beef are all fabulous sources of lean protein. However, you may want to limit sauces, skin on turkey or chicken, or choose cuts of meat that end in LOIN or LEAN (tenderloin). Choosing leaner cuts of chicken and beef can help you save hundreds of calories and a lot of fat and saturated fat.
Pay Attention to Hunger and Fullness
Finally, pay attention to your internal hunger and fullness cues. Sitting down and taking at least 20 minutes to eat can help you prevent overeating at the holidays. Try to avoid endless grazing and take a break between plates or courses.
Limit Calorie Filled Beverages
Try to limit calorie filled beverages like soda or alcoholic beverages during the holidays. Limiting yourself to one or two alcoholic beverages at holiday parties and events can also help moderate your liquid calorie intake. Also, try to limit alcohol consumption between November and January. While many people drink too much between the holiday season, taking a walk, working out or reading a good book are all healthier ways to manage your holiday stress.
Final Thoughts
The holidays are a fantastic time to enjoy food and beverages with friends and family. Hopefully the tips in this article showed you that it’s possible to eat healthily over the holidays. You can still enjoy holiday treats and meals in a sensible way that won’t leave you feeling bloated and uncomfortable come January 2nd. Even more importantly, sticking to some sensible nutrition tips over the holidays can help you avoid the urge to yo-yo diet or embark on any extreme diet plans in the new year.
Need more help with healthy holiday eating or managing your nutrition plan this holiday season? Why not consider nutrition coaching over the holidays or even in the new year.
