It’s that time of the year once again! Yuletide trimmings all around, Christmas songs playing, and the sumptuous smell of festive food wafting in the cold, winter air. During this season of feasting, most people forego their diets and make resolutions to lose that extra weight after New Year’s Eve celebration. However, did you know that you can gain 2-3 pounds just this season by eating an extra 200 calories per day? It’s true. So, it is important to keep “healthy cooking and baking” at the top of your list when prepping your holiday feast. If you are in charge of cooking and baking, help your friends and family to stay healthy, eat healthy for the holidays.
Here are a few tips and suggestions on how to stay healthy and eat healthy for the holidays:
- Highlight lean proteins on the holiday menu. Healthy proteins like steamed or baked fish, chicken, turkey, lean beef or pork are best served. If you do this, you will be helping your guests maintain their cardiovascular and circulatory health. You can even play it up as your “best-ever” Christmas gift.
- Serve healthy dishes that are high protein, fewer carbohydrates, low sodium, low sugar, and low fat.
- Serve lots of vegetables and fruits. In addition, serving fruits and vegetables will add color to the holiday feast. Furthermore, it will be difficult for the guests to overeat because of the fibers that will make them fuller longer.
- Serve delicious but nutritious drinks. Mind the amount of sugar and carbohydrates in the drinks you serve since these can increase their blood sugar level. Low sugar and low calories are the way to go. Help your guests maintain their blood sugar at normal levels this holiday.
- The food service sequence should offer alcohol after the meals are served. Allowing guests to drink on empty stomachs hasten the ill effects of intoxication and may even lead to health issues. So, let your guests savor the food first while drinking wine.
- Try serving dishes and dessert in cute and smaller plates for fewer calories. The key to eating healthy this holiday season is “portion control.” What better and fun way to do this but to serve food to your guests in cute, small plates instead of huge platters. This way they can savor all your healthy offerings but in small bite sizes.
- Host the party with sprinkles of fun activities and encourage all your friends and family to join in. Not only can this spell F-U-N in the holiday party but these activities will also quicken their heart rates, increase their adrenalin and maximize the efficiency of digestion so they can inevitably indulge in the sumptuous feast you prepared.
