Skip to main content

Tips On Eating Healthy During the Holidays

One of the blessings of the Christmas season is the many parties and get togethers we are able to attend.  Of course that means food - lots of it!  But in the season of good cheer and being merry as all the best food dishes come out, it can be easy to overload and pack on a few extra pounds and lose the healthy eating habits we may strive for. 

In the celebrations, we can surely take part, but here are a few tips to help keep us on track:

  • One of the biggest helps to avoid over eating is before a holiday event, eat a snack or a salad. Foods high in protein, like chicken or cottage cheese, help you to eat less later. Fasting ahead of time to leave room for a big meal or extra trips to the buffet may lead you to overeat.
  • Eat smaller portions of food. This is especially important at a buffet, where you may want to try everything. Choose the items you want to try the most, and eat a small portion of each.
  • \Eat slowly. Many times, people eat so fast that their stomachs don't have enough time to register that they are full. Savor each bite and enjoy the taste of the food-chances are you will eat less.
  • After a meal, go for a walk with your family to see holiday displays in your neighborhood.
  • Offer to bring a low-calorie dish to holiday parties. Your host might appreciate it, and you'll know that at least one healthy item will be on hand.
  • Don't park yourself in front of the buffet at a party. Mingle! If you stand by the buffet, you'll eat more than you would if it was across the room.
  • Avoid fast food. The holiday season can keep you on the go with little time to prepare meals. Fast food may be handy, but often is high in fat. Prepare and freeze quick, healthy meals ahead of time to stay out of the fast food trap.
  • Be realistic. Don't try to diet during the holidays; just aim to maintain your present weight.
Food and holiday gatherings go hand in hand. So join in and help yourself to some tasty treats. If you've been exercising, keep it up during the holiday season. If you aren't getting enough exercise, it's a great time to start. With a dash of discipline and a pinch of planning, you'll have a great recipe for holiday fun without the regret that many of us feel the next time we step on a scale.

Comments

  1. Good stuff ... great ideas.

    BUT...you do realize that a good cookie covers all the food groups, right? I mean, in any given chocolate chip cookie you have milk (dairy), protein (eggs), carbohydrates/grains (flour), and chocolate (the most important food group of all!). Just sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good tips! Since there are so many foods I am trying to avoid for health reasons, the holidays can be challenging. I also tell my self I CAN have one sugary treat, and then I choose wisely. I would rather have one small thing I love than four things I am eating for the pleasure of eating. I will try to remember some of these techniques for serving food, too. Great post.

    ReplyDelete
  3. all great advice! I know when I was going through a weight loss clinic before, they said the exact same thing about eating protein before going to a party. I also like the advice on not to per se diet during this time, but to maintain weight. That's good thinking, I do believe!

    betty

    ReplyDelete
  4. this scripture is soo true. For me...He made the difference and freed me.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing your commment. It is a joy and blessing to hear from you and your words are appreciated.

Popular posts from this blog

Sometimes We Score, Sometimes We Block

Our family is in the midst of little league soccer season. My youngest son is playing and his enthusiasm is contagious. He is pretty good at the sport, but what makes it so great is that he loves it! He counts the days until the next game or practice. He loves his coach and teammates. He has moved up an age level this year and the players are working more like team, passing to each other and watching out for each other during play. During the last game, my son scored two goals, they were the only goals of the game. In today's game the team scored eight goals. My son came up afterwards to me and said, "I didn't score today, but I blocked". What a powerful truth those words can hold. In life, sometimes we score, sometimes we block. Sometimes we do great things, we excel, we achieve, we meet our goal - we score! There are also times we see the needs of others, sometimes they are sad or hurting, we block their hits. We look out for them so they can score. We

Relationships and Redemption

In every friendship or relationship, there is a common hope that they will grow and flourish. There is something inside of us that longs for a 'happy every after' story. We dream about it and work to make that happen. But in reality, relationships are a challenge. The bridging of values, lifestyles, interests and sacrificing for another are simply hard things to do! No matter how much we dream of the perfect fit, some relationships will not endure the stress.  When differences appear and tensions arise, prayer can change situations, attitudes and ourselves. For the Christian, we know God can transform, change, heal. We cannot change others, but prayer opens us the door for God to step in and answer. God desires transformation, but does not demand it. The gift of free will allows us to choose to say Yes or No to Him.  Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Take notice of the first two words: “If possible …” This implies that some

A Blank Page - A Great Way to Fill It

A blank page - that is the first view of a new blog post. It has been a while since I have faced the blank page of my little blog! A blank page can bring a variety of emotions - emptiness, anxiety, pressure to perform or emotions such as inspiration, encouragement or simply bursting to share something. But there is always something fresh and exciting about the blank page of a New Year. Happy 2023! This is always a time in my life where inspiration and plans are formed and ready to be implemented for greater change. Aspirations may start strong, but alone do not make a difference. It takes consistency to create change. The changing or adding small habits is a key to great changes. A habit that has been beneficial in my life for many years is rising early. It began when the children were small and was the only pocket of time I had to myself. Through the years, mornings have become my favorite time of the day. Now that my husband and I are empty nesters, we go to bed early and rise early.