With the holidays coming up, it’s easy to fall off the health wagon. You definitely don’t want to deprive yourself from the amazing feasts that await you. Food is more than just nutrition, it’s culture, tradition, togetherness and much more. Here are some simple ideas to help keep you from overindulging, falling completely off that wagon and feeling like you have to start from square one.
Eat Before You Arrive
Make sure you eat before you arrive so you are not starving. While you may feel like skipping breakfast or lunch to make room for the feast that awaits you- doing so may cause you to eat more than you would have. Instead of skipping meals and arriving famished, be sure to stick to your wholesome healthy meals or snacks with adequate protein and fiber so you are well nourished by the time you arrive.
When you do arrive, eat the healthy choices first
Fill yourself up with the nutrient dense high protein and high fiber options like the vegetables lean meats, some cheese and fruit/olives from the cheese platter maybe. You will then have less room for other tempting but not so healthful dishes and sugary desserts.
Don’t Inhale your Food!
Especially when the food is good, we tend to gobble down everything we can really quickly. Try to be a mindful eater and indulge all your senses to get the digestive juices flowing- this will help beat the bloat and may prevent you from overeating and raiding the dessert table. It takes about 20 mins or more for the brain to receive signals that you’re full so take your time, chew slowly and enjoy every bite.
Drink Wisely
Excess alcohol and sugary beverages are empty calories with no nutritional value.
Save your calories for the delicious nutrient dense mains. But let’s face it, it is the holidays so a glass of dry wine, champagne, or a bloody mary from fresh tomato juice would be the better choices. Also, don't forget to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Make sure you sip on water in between cocktails. This will help decrease the chances of a hangover the next day.
Bring a Healthy Swap
If you don’t want to show up empty handed, try substituting your favorite holiday dish for a version that’s more nutrient dense. Cauliflower mash instead of the carb heavy potato mash. Sweet potato instead of white potato (for latkes, stuffing, casseroles, pies etc). Zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, lentil noodle or buckwheat noodles instead of a regular pasta dish. Vegetable snacks with a dip instead of chips. Baked apples instead of apple pie. The possibilities are endless. This will not only ensures that you have at least one healthy option but your host would love it too.
We hope you enjoy some of these easy tips to stay on track during the Thanksgiving holiday. If you have any questions, or if you need additional assistance, please send us an email info@lorrainekearneynutrition.com
