Tips For Healthy Holiday Eating

We love our holidays and apart from all the gifts and a chance to meet our relatives and in general having a good time, we also look forward to those once-a-year goodies that we get to eat. In fact, we wouldn’t be off the mark to say that the cakes, chocolates, puddings and other goodies are the highlights of our holiday and more often that not, we remember the holiday for what we did and what we ate.

For most of us, holiday is also a suspension of normal activity including our normal healthy diet and exercise. American Weight Watchers report states that the average American gains between 7 and 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day! Little wonder that Fad diet marketers go on an overdrive and make the most money after the post holiday season.

Of course, the temptations are all too evident. At every house you visit you are offered cakes, puddings, chocolates, cookies and other mouth watering goodies. Being the holiday season we don’t like to refuse and once we put a small piece of that chocolate cake in our mouth, it oh so melts away that it is absolutely difficult to not go for another helping and pretty soon we’ve finished half if not more of the items on the plate. And even God would not be able to help us if we are invited for lunch or dinner. The table is so laden with mouth watering dishes and the aroma is so enchanting that our senses go on an over drive and all attempts to control our minds seems hopelessly futile. Healthy cooking also seems to go out of the window.

During the holiday season, the kitchen too undergoes a dramatic change - we use lots of butter, chocolate, sugar, cream and everything that we would normally refuse to touch because they are not healthy. The local super market and grocery store too add to the temptation by putting out attractively packaged foods and “holiday season” only items. We of course justify and comfort ourselves by saying this is all a once-a-year affair. Besides, it would not feel like a holiday if we do not indulge would it? The atmosphere is simply too overwhelming.

Exercising control in the holiday season

If our description of the holiday season applies to you, you would be forgiven for thinking that it would be impossible to apply any kind of control. Yet, it is not difficult at all – just requires common sense approach! To help you stay on top of your holiday we present you some excellent tips for healthy holiday eating:

Tips for healthy holiday eating # 1: Exercise

Holiday also means having some extra time on our hands. Use it to go on a jog or swim or play ball or whatever sport takes your fancy. Plan to spend a couple of hours and enjoy yourself while at it.

Tips for healthy holiday eating # 2: Have the cake and eat it too!

You don’t have to use white sugar. There are many zero calorie substitutes available. Use butter sparingly and instead of chocolate add nuts and raisins.

Tips for healthy holiday eating # 3: Go lean

For your entire meat requirement visit the local butcher rather than the super store. Select lean cuts without skin. Turkey and chicken make an excellent choice (and are great to cook, too).

Tips for healthy holiday eating # 4: Go small

Eat small healthy snacks every two hours. If your snack time coincides with some delicacy being offered to you – select a fruit based item or cut yourself a small portion. Have some excuse ready for not eating more. Remember, nobody will force you to eat. It’s all a matter of your own control. At meal time if you find the dining table is laden with unhealthy goodies, take small portions. Fruit will always be there so help yourself to a large portion of fruit. Select portions of grilled or baked meats.

Tips for healthy holiday eating # 5: Keep your head

Remember Champagne, beer, wine etc too have loads of calories in them. So limit yourself to one peg or glass.

Tips for healthy holiday eating # 6: Speak up – it’s your body

If you are handed a plate full of holiday delicacies, you don’t have to eat everything that’s on it. Leave what you don’t want or don’t feel like eating. Just say “no” for unhealthy extra servings.