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A Guide to Healthy Holiday Eating
A holiday buffet table
brimming with great
food and favorite
treats doesn’t have to mean
a catastrophe for your
healthy habits, according
to Heather Kennedy, M.S.,
an exercise physiologist at
Meridian Life Fitness and
Rehabilitation. Here are
some tips to help you avoid
overindulging during your
special celebrations.
Before the Festivities
- Don’t go hungry on the
day of the party so you
can eat a lot that night.
By eating normally
throughout the day,
you’ll be less likely to
overeat later.
- Eat a healthy pre-party
snack to control your
appetite. "Good choices
are a piece of fresh fruit,
vegetables with low-fat dip, a bowl of
whole-grain cereal, or a handful of nuts,"
says Heather.
- Continue to exercise throughout the holidays.
At gatherings, play touch football
in the backyard or go for a long walk
with visiting friends and family before
the food is served.
At the Party
- Choose boiled shrimp or veggies and a
little dip instead of cheese or fried foods.
Watch your intake of fat and "empty
calories" in sweets, such as eggnog and
pumpkin pie. You don’t have to skip your
favorite holiday foods entirely — just
have a little.
- Put your snacks on a small plate to keep
portion sizes small. Then move away from
the buffet table to discourage "grazing."
- Eat slowly. "By eating slower, you’ll be
able to tell when you’re full," reports
Heather. "Focus on enjoying the food and
the company, and wait at least 20 minutes
before going for seconds."
- Cut calories by limiting alcohol. If you
do drink, choose light beer, dry wine, or
sugar-free mixers in cocktails.
Be a Thoughtful Host
You can help yourself and others by serving
food for your own events in a way that
benefits everyone’s healthy eating habits.
- Set out bite-sized, healthy snacks like
popcorn, raisins, or nuts. Also, offering
bowls of fresh fruit are a colorful alternative
to candy and chocolates.
- Present food in different locations to
encourage mingling as well as eating.
- Offer your guests sparkling water or diet
beverages instead of high-calorie drinks
 – Heather Kennedy, M.S.
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Cut back on sodium in your holiday
cooking with these tips:
At the Store
- Look for reduced- or low-sodium
versions of the foods you like,
including soups, frozen dinners, and
condiments, such as soy sauce.
- Think fresh. Fresh vegetables,
meat, and fish are lower in sodium
than canned or processed versions.
- Choose frozen over canned vegetables.
Or select low-sodium canned
vegetables. Another option: Rinse
canned vegetables and beans
before using them.
- Check the Nutrition Facts information
on food packages. You
can’t always judge a food by its
taste. Cereals and other foods that
don’t taste salty often have as
much sodium as salty snacks like
potato chips.
In the Kitchen
- Experiment with pepper, rosemary,
basil, and other spices and herbs.
- Use a few drops of lemon juice
to enhance flavor. Lemon can
make a small amount of salt
seem like more.
- Perk up bored taste buds with
vinegar. Many cuisines combine
vinegar and pepper to stimulate
taste buds.
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