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Healthy Holiday Tips for a Lighter Season

Bobby Maknoon, RD
5 minute read | Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Healthy Holiday Tips for a Lighter Season

With the holiday season in full swing, it’s time to celebrate family, friends and delicious food. For many, this means indulging in foods that may not be friendly to the waistline. Rest assured, you can still enjoy your holiday favorites and stay healthy. Having one big dinner on Thanksgiving or Christmas day is usually not going to result in extra inches around your waist. Rather, it’s the over-indulging for days on end that will put on the pounds.
Looking to stay a little lighter this year? Here are five easy ways to enjoy a delicious and healthy holiday season.

Healthy Holiday Tip #1: Go with Smaller Plates

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It seems like everything’s been super-sized since our parents’ generation: restaurant meals, soft drinks and even dinner plates. A number of research studies have looked at the relationship between plate size and portion control. Strong evidence shows that using a smaller plate will help you feel satisfied and full while eating a smaller portion. Try this trick out when you want to avoid overdoing it on high-calorie holiday foods.

Healthy Holiday Tip #2: Clear the Table

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If you’re eating your meal family-style, keep the serving platters off the dinner table. You’ll enjoy your first serving more without being overwhelmed by the cornucopia of extra food. If you keep the serving dishes on the kitchen counter instead, you’ll have to get up for a second serving. This will help you be more mindful of how full and satisfied you are when serving yourself seconds.

Healthy Holiday Tip #3: Pick Favorites

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Everybody has a favorite holiday dish. Some of us like sweet potato pie and others like green bean casserole. Load up on your favorites first and skip the dishes you aren’t a huge fan of. This way, you won’t waste calories on a dish that isn’t satisfying. Spend your calories on seasonal dishes that are only available during the holiday season instead of blowing them on foods that are available year ’round.

Healthy Holiday Tip #4: Skip Liquid Calories

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If you’re eating more calories during the holiday season and want to keep things in balance, consider cutting out liquid calories. Sugary drinks like soda or juice can add extra and unneeded calories to your diet. Let’s say you drink a can of soda per week. The average soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar per can, so skipping it can save you 78 teaspoons of added sugars over the course of two months.

For an alternative to sugary drinks, infuse your water with fresh fruit and herbs or enjoy some unsweetened coffee or tea. If you’re a fan of holiday coffee drinks like pumpkin spice or eggnog lattes, check out our handy guide to ordering a healthier latte.

Healthy Holiday Tip #5: If You Drink, Enjoy It

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When it comes to alcohol, there are a few ways you can enjoy a lighter drink:

  • Red wine is a good choice because it has the added bonus of heart-healthy antioxidants.
  • If you’re going with cocktails, try to skip any high-calorie or sugary mixers.
  • Drinking a glass of water in between alcoholic drinks will help you stay hydrated and give your body more time to process the alcohol.
  • Consider cutting down or skipping alcohol during large, heavy meals as alcohol can take over your metabolism and interfere with your body’s ability to properly process food.

Stay tuned for next week’s edition of the healthy holiday series for tips on getting back on track after your big Thanksgiving meal.