For Holiday Eating
It's that time of year again. A time of much feasting, fun and festivities. A time when we are tempted to the limit of endurance with tasty and tender delicacies at Thanksgiving and year-end Christmas parties. And by the time the New Year has come around some of us will have developed some extra baggage around our waist and hips. This leads many people to make the ever popular New Years' resolution- to go on a diet.This inevitably leads to the questions: "How can I avoid putting on all this extra weight?", and "are there any guidelines that I can follow that could prevent this potential lifetime problem?" There are some strategies that are very simple and practical that can help.
Let us start with eating out. Here are some suggestions:
- Before going to that party or Thanksgiving meal, it pays to plan ahead. Concentrate on eating fruits and vegetables and other high fiber, low-calorie foods, before taking to the high-calorie cookies, pies, cakes, ice cream and candy.
- Drink water instead of sweetened juices, sodas or milk beverages as these drinks can contribute many calories to a meal.
- Limit the amount of cheeses, sauces, toppings and gravies you use as these can add a lot of calories.
- Remember that high-fat foods add many more calories to a meal than do high carbohydrate foods. Your body has a much greater capacity for turning excess dietary fat calories into body fat than it does for converting excess carbohydrate calories into body fat.
Entertaining people in your home may afford you an opportunity to exercise control over what you eat. When planning for Thanksgiving or Christmas meals, select lower calorie food items that are similar in taste to the high fat counterparts.
- Have a selection of raw vegetables instead of crackers and high fat cheese and cream cheese dips.
- Use low-fat yogurt instead of sour cream.
- Broil or bake food items rather than fry.
- Choose foods that are higher in fiber and complex carbohydrates (green beans, potatoes, brown rice, lettuce, and tomato salad).
- Eat a substantial breakfast and lunch to help you avoid gorging for the evening meal.
- Limit the amount of nuts and chips eaten. Remember the saying: "seconds on the lips, years on the hips".
- Don't be mistaken -- the four food groups are not vanilla, butterscotch, chocolate, and tutti-frutti.
In conclusion, moderation is the key. You CAN celebrate the holiday season with all its delicious food and drink. With a little planning and foreknowledge you can enjoy it with peace of mind, knowing that at the end, there won't be need for that New Years' resolution or that endless dieting that can take the enjoyment out of life.
Author: Winston Craig, MPH, PhD, RD.
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