Losing weight over the holidays is often not an achievable goal, but maintaining your weight and avoiding weight gain is possible, according to the American Dietetic Association. There are healthy food choices you can make during the holidays that will help keep you energized, healthy and avoiding unwanted weight gain. Taking time to plan your strategy, eat before parties, replace unhealthy options and exercise are all strategies that will help you make healthy choices.
Plan Your Strategy
Know what your favorite holiday foods are and plan on saving your indulgences for them. Whether you love sweet potato casserole, stuffing, pecan pie or holiday cookies, pick the food that makes the holidays sweet for you. Then, skip other less satisfying foods. This will help give you the will power to avoid other foods because you will know what you are saving your excess calories for.
Make Healthier Traditional Foods
Take your traditional holiday recipes and revamp them to make them healthier. Replace butter in baked goods with pureed fruits such as applesauce. Use egg replacers or egg whites as substitutes for whole eggs. Limit the overall amount of butter and oil you add to dishes. Cut down on salt by using herbs and spices to add flavor instead. Leave off the bacon. Although bacon is traditionally used as a flavoring, it contains a significant amount of unhealthy fat and calories. Use sharp or flavorful cheeses to replace less flavorful cheese. This will allow you to use less. Replace whole milk in your recipes with skim milk or soy milk. Make baked goods made with whole-wheat flour and maple syrup instead of sugar.
Eat Before the Party
Eating before you get to a holiday party will help you resist the urge to binge on high-calorie party foods. Take time to have a healthy snack before you go to a holiday party. Have a healthy fiber-rich bowl of cereal, a serving of fruit or vegetables or a handful of nuts. These foods will help you feel full when you get to the party because these foods are high in fiber making them slow to digest.
Bring Healthy Treats
Avoid adding to the unhealthy tempting treats at your office or holiday party. Instead, bring a healthy option to the party. Bring a fruit salad with fresh sliced fruit. Make whole-grain nutty bread. Bring a cold whole-grain pasta salad that contains a small amount of olive oil and a variety of vegetables. Stick to sweet potato dishes instead of white potatoes. Sweet potatoes contain significantly more nutrients than white potatoes.
Exercise Will Help You
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center recommends adding 10 to 15 minutes of exercise to your daily routine to compensate for the extra calories you are likely to eat over the holidays. Adding this additional exercise to your routine will make it easier for you to get through the holidays without gaining weight. Also, if you feel you ate too much at a holiday meal or party do something active afterward, such as taking a walk, climbing the stairs or doing jumping jacks.
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