Healthy Holiday eating tips: Eat smart!

The holiday season is often synonymous with diet busting, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you take a few easy proactive steps, combine them some smart portion sizes and a little bit of self control, you can navigate the upcoming calorie-laden festivities and still allow yourself to indulge in a few treats.

Big yet skinny

First of all, fill up on foods that have lots of bulk, but few calories, like fruits and vegetables. At holiday gatherings, head for fruit and veggie trays first, and go easy on the dip. At meal time, eat a tossed salad or a serving or two of vegetable side dishes before you dig into the main course. Also, remember to fill half your plate with veggies, fruits or bean dishes before you pile on the other stuff.

Protein, protein, protein

Protein is nature’s diet pill. As your body digests protein, it tends level out blood glucose levels which in turn makes you less hungry and gives you more energy. Protein-heavy foods include fish, shellfish, poultry, beans, wild game and soy. Try replacing prime rib with white turkey meat, Swedish meatballs with lean cold cuts, Omega 3 eggs (like Eggland’s Best) for ‘regular’ eggs and onion and artichoke dip with hummus.

Avoid the White Hazards

Everybody loves a good croissant or biscuit and mashed potatoes, but those types of easily digestible foods tend to cause a spike in your blood sugar and make you hungrier. When possible, choose whole grains, beans, sweet potatoes or winter squashes instead. Go for the bean salad instead of potato salad, or brown rice instead of white rice. As hard as it may be, say no to the white rolls and biscuits—not to mention crackers and bread.

Minimize the liquid calories

Sweet drinks, like soda, fruit juices and so forth, cause rapid surges in blood glucose that perpetuates the appetite and provides no bulk for the GI tract. It is also stored in fat cells. Make water or unsweetened iced tea your beverage of choice. Alcohol is okay—in moderation—but make sure you have some food in your stomach before you take your first drink and drink a full glass of water between each one. It’s a good idea to limit yourself to two (if you’re a man) or one (if you’re a woman.)

Be strategic with the sweets

For most people, desserts are the Achilles’ heel of all diet plans. This is particularly true during the holiday season, when a bevy of pies, cakes, cookies, chocolates and other assorted sweet treats or on display and available. Try to steer yourself toward the fruit or high quality dark chocolate. If you can’t pass up that pie or cake, be mindful of the serving size. You don’t need to have a huge piece in order to satisfy your craving.

From all of us here at Oakwood Healthcare: good luck, and Happy Holidays!