Tips so You Won't Overdo it This Holiday Season

Remember these tips as you fill your holiday plate:

 

Load up on fruits and vegetables. They have more fiber and fewer calories so you can fill your plate, eat healthy, and satisfy your appetite.

 

Move away from the buffet. Fill a small plate with no more than two food items at once and then mingle. Hang out with the talkers, not the eaters. Keep something in your hands, like a low-calorie drink, and avoid the temptation to grab appetizers as they pass by.

 

Don't deprive yourself completely. Allow yourself a few special holiday treats, but choose carefully. Think before you load your plate with holiday food. Bypass most of the buffet and save your calories for the foods you really enjoy.

 

Prolong the moment. The longer you linger before indulging in your holiday food choices, the less likely you’ll eat too much. Don't head straight to the front of the buffet line. If you're the first to eat, then you'll be finished before everyone else and more tempted to go back for seconds.

Here are four steps you can take to put a healthy holiday eating plan in place:

Don't face holiday eating on an empty stomach. Have a little satisfying protein like low-fat Greek yogurt or a handful of almonds before heading to a holiday event. Arriving hungry will quickly dissolve your ability to resist overeating high-calorie holiday food.

 

Bring your host a healthy holiday dish. If you’re asked to prepare a dish for a holiday gathering (or even if you’re not), whip up a health-conscious choice that you can fill up on. Then you can be sure that there’s at least one healthy option on the table.

 

Arrive with the right holiday attitude. Make holiday events more about spending time with family and friends and less about the food.. But for some people, holiday events with family members can stir up lots of emotions. If this happens to you, take time to calm yourself before seeking comfort in holiday foods.

 

Include setting limits on alcohol. Alcohol can increase your appetite and decrease your willpower, and that holiday cocktail is probably loaded with empty calories. Those liquid calories don’t curb your appetite as much as calories from solid food do. Stick to lighter beverages like a glass of wine or a mixed drink with club soda and only one shot of alcohol.