It’s the most wonderful time of the year for festive parties, family feasts and sumptuous food! So much so that the abundance of rich dishes, sweets and fancy drinks can be a virtual minefield for those trying to maintain a healthy diet. But with some common sense preplanning it’s possible to navigate the foodscape and still enjoy special treats without overindulging.
“It’s all about balance,” said Teresa Eury, a clinical dietician with Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. “You want to be mindful of your eating and slow down and savor each and every bite.
Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues and stop eating when the hunger subsides.
“One of the biggest mistakes people make is skip meals on a day when they know they are going to an evening holiday party. Skipping breakfast and lunch is a recipe for failure. Instead eat something simple like a piece of toast with some avocado on it for breakfast and maybe some protein and salad for lunch. If you nourish your body throughout the day, you simply won’t need as many treats. Skipping meals is counterintuitive because it forces your body to crave more sweets and carbohydrates later.”
If you are going to a party with a buffet table, try to position yourself away from the table to prevent mindless nibbling. Fill your plate with fruits and vegetables. It’s fun to make a rainbow with their colors and they fill you up faster than traditional snack food. You won’t exceed your calorie intake either!
“Not only do fruits and vegetables fill you up quicker, but they provide antioxidants, phytochemicals and they are rich in fiber,” she continued. “They actually help protect the body from oxidative stress and inflammation and they promote good gut health. However, carbohydrates are our main source of energy so focus on eating complex carbohydrates like fruit, whole grains, starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, and legumes such as black beans.”
If you have the opportunity to bring a dish to a holiday buffet, make a healthy substitute for a favorite. You can bring mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. Or substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream in your favorite dip. There’s plenty of online recipes for healthy holiday sweets that guests won’t even be able to distinguish from the traditional sugary treats.
Attending a sit-down family gathering can be a little trickier as there is always someone at the table who insists that you try everything.
“It’s OK to have a spoonful of Aunt Helen’s creamed corn. Just don’t eat a large serving,” Eury said. “Try to select lean protein like a slice of turkey without the skin and gravy, or lean beef tenderloin minus the Béarnaise sauce. Pay attention to portion size, using small plates if possible and eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to realize you are full. Pace yourself so that you can stay at the table with just the one serving.”
Holidays are not the time to completely avoid the fanciful desserts, just be mindful and careful with your selection.
“While fruit is always a good option, don’t deprive yourself of a treat,” Eury said. “You could swap out a sugar cookie for a meringue cookie, or chocolate bark for dark chocolate, or healthy chocolate snack balls or gingerbread cake for gingerbread cookies. If you want that slice of apple pie, make it a small one. You can have your sweet treats, just be smarter in choosing them.”
Holiday beverages such as eggnog, cocktails and sugary punches quickly add up in calories. Be sure to prioritize drinking water throughout the day to stay hydrated and help control your appetite. While enjoying alcoholic beverages, alternate each drink with a glass of water to pace yourself and minimize calorie consumption.
“If you are entertaining, there are healthy options for holiday eggnog that are made from plant-based items,” Eury explained. “For example, there’s a commercial almond eggnog that only has 50 calories per serving and 1.5 grams of total fat. It gives you the flavor of eggnog and the feel of eggnog but with a fraction of the 350 calories in traditional eggnog. The same is true with alcoholic drinks. Substituting sugary mixers with diet soda, seltzer water or a splash of cranberry juice can cut down on the calorie intake.”
If you are traveling to grandma’s house for the holidays, make sure you have plenty of healthy snacks for the road so that you can avoid fast food stops. Nuts, fruits, vegetables and yogurt are always great road trip choices.
Increase your exercise by an extra 15 to 20 minutes a day to compensate for those extra calories.
If you do that every day during the holidays, you may find you didn’t gain any weight at all.
Eating and drinking aren’t the only things you need to be conscious of during the holidays. Sleep is just as important.
“Adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night,” Eury added. “When we don’t get enough sleep our levels of ghrelin (the hunger hormone) increase and we feel hungrier. Sleep also affects the leptin hormone with helps regulate body weight. Lack of sleep releases leptin, which is associated with increased consumption of comfort foods. Good sleep helps regulate your weight because your hormone levels will be controlled.”
Navigating holiday temptations just takes a little planning and substitution. So eat wisely, drink sensibly and be merry!
Teresa Eury received her Master of Public Health, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and completed her internship in Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services at the University of Colorado. She is an in-patient dietitian who only attends to patients who are admitted to Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. If you would like to consult with a nutritionist about your dietary needs, Google nutritionists in your area or ask your primary care physician for a referral.