Nutrition Tips For The Holidays

From seasonal office parties to gatherings with family and friends, the holidays provide opportunities to indulge in delicious foods and beverages. If you plan to enjoy appetizers and desserts at cocktail parties, enticing buffets or lavish family feasts, rely on simple holiday nutrition tips to maintain sensible eating habits to keep your diet well-balanced and your waistline in check.

Make Substitutions

If you'll be preparing holiday meals or dishes to take to potluck gatherings, use ingredient substitutions to create healthier, low-calorie versions of your favorite foods. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends substituting skim or low-fat milk for whole milk in entrees or replacing oil with applesauce when making holiday cookies, for instance. You can also use fat-free or low-sodium soup when making casseroles or switch whole wheat pasta and bread for enriched varieties to add nutrients to holiday recipes, MayoClinic.com says.

Avoid Overindulging

When going to a tempting holiday buffet full of high-calorie dishes, plan ahead to keep yourself from eating more than you should. NetWellness suggests eating a small meal before the party or filling up on high-fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables so you won't be hungry and tempted to overeat.

Be Selective

Instead of filling your plate with rich foods or repeatedly reaching for appetizers at holiday gatherings, make a plan so you'll be able to enjoy your favorites while making nutritious choices. Instead of loading up on dishes you eat all year, such as mashed potatoes and buttered rolls, choose small portions of foods that you only eat during the holidays, such as your mother's candied yams or oyster stuffing. The University of North Carolina also recommends opting for foods such as raw vegetables and low-calorie dip or boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce instead of fried appetizers.

Limit Fast Food

A busy holiday schedule can mean less time to prepare meals, so you may be tempted to increase your consumption of fast food for convenience. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends anticipating the holiday rush by making recipes in advance that you can store in the freezer to simply reheat for dinner on busy evenings.

Watch Beverage Consumption

Although it's OK to raise a glass for a holiday toast, avoid consuming excess calories through seasonal and alcoholic beverages. The University of New Mexico Division of Human Resources recommends researching the nutritional breakdown of drinks such as mulled apple cider, eggnog, cocktails, flavored coffee drinks and hot chocolate when planning your daily intake of calories and fat grams.