I believe in all things in moderation, including moderation. However, the holidays can be a bit of a healthy eating disaster if you’re not prepared and informed. The average holiday meal can easily rack up 3,000 to 3,500 calories, so be sure to follow these tips to help avoid those hidden holiday calories!
- Move it! Start the holiday off by walking or running in a Turkey Trot race or simply meeting some family members for a bit of holiday exercise. Try getting your metabolism elevated for the day by taking a walk outside, or playing a game of flag football a few hours after the holiday feast.
- Identify healthy alternatives. Substitute sweet potatoes for mashed potatoes and gravy, pumpkin pie for pecan pie, and don't forget to remove the skin from the turkey.
- Watch your portions. Load your plate up with vegetables and lean turkey. Eat less of the high-calorie foods like casseroles, breads, and desserts. A serving is typically the size of a deck of cards or your iPhone. Also, try putting your appetizers on a plate to see what you are eating rather than continually grazing by the table.
- Select real, fresh foods. Cranberries are full of antioxidants, but the canned kind are packed with sugar and calories. Sweet potatoes have a lot of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and fiber, and you can add flavor such as cinnamon or nutmeg. Desserts made of baked apples or poached pears can be lighter options than typical desserts with candied nuts and chocolate. And don’t forget the pumpkin! Pumpkin is a low-fat, low-calorie food with potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C. Yum!
- Space out your helpings. Take smaller portions, and always remember that you can have more the next day. Holidays are about spending time with friends and family, so make a conscious effort to take a break between bites and enjoy the conversation.
- Think before you drink. We often drink more calories during the holidays than we realize. Eggnog, juice in cocktails, and cream-based drinks can really add up. Drink in moderation, and think about the content of your drink. Try lower-calorie drink options like sparkling water with a lemon or lime, and choose a glass of wine over a sugar-laced cocktail. Make sure you drink a glass of water between each alcoholic drink.
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4 comments:
Thank you for this as I was just sitting here thinking how not to over eat during the Christmas period. My students have started buying me chocolates and biscuits, but I am trying not to eat any as once I start I cannot stop. The walking or doing something on the day is such a good idea. Often I just sit around for hour. I have a large garden so will do some walking, maybe even buy myself a audio book to listen to as a treat and walk and listen. Thanks for the most timely post! I will share this and put a link from my site. Nina
I agree, the walking tip is a great idea from Kathryn. It's too easy to sit around and chit chat during the holidays, and doing that for hours on end just allows all the calories to plant themselves in places we don't want!
Fab post, passing through & following for the blog hop :-)
TToria
http://ttoria.blogspot.com
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