MomsGetReal Contributor Stu Lieberman
The holidays are a time to spend time with loved ones and give thanks for all that enrich our lives. Unfortunately, this time of year has also become associated with overindulgence, unhealthy food choices, and weight gain. The good news is you don’t have to skip all the festivities to keep healthy this season. Here are 5 tips to help you eat healthy during the holidays.
Start Your Day with a Healthy Breakfast
How many times have we indulged in donuts—or some other unhealthy food—in the morning, and then just rationalized the move in our head by saying we’d eat better… tomorrow? When we start our day off with a healthy, nutritious, and satisfying meal, we’re more likely to continue to make healthy food choices throughout the day.
You want your breakfast to be filled with food options that will keep you satisfied until lunch. Empty calories will just leave you hungry and lead to binges and snacking. A morning meal of eggs, lean meat, and fruit can be a smart way to start the day.
Load up on the Veggies
Many holiday meals are served buffet-style, leaving the food choices in your hands. This is a good thing! You have the power to decide what gets put on your plate. Aim to fill half your plate with veggies. Raw vegetables are your best bet, because you know they haven’t been cooked in, or covered with, calorie-filled sauces. For the remaining half of your plate, fill one quarter with lean meat (think turkey, grilled fish, or lean cuts of red meat), and the remaining quarter with starches, like potatoes or stuffing.
Make Sure Your Plate is Colorful
When looking at your plate, you should have a variety of colors represented. A plate of brightly-colored foods is often a sign that you’ve made wise choices. Just make sure those colors are not coming from candy or cakes.
Watch the “Extras”
Calories can quickly add up if you start drowning your healthy food choices with creamy sauces and dressings. If you feel you must have the extra sauce, try putting a small amount on the side and dipping your fork into the sauce before putting the food on the fork. Keeping the sauce on the fork, and not all over the food, can help limit the amount of calories you consume, while still enjoying the added flavor of the sauce.
Eat slowly
It takes a while—about 20 minutes—for your brain to communicate with your stomach that you’re full. When you eat your food slowly by chewing it more thoroughly, eating is slowed and your brain and stomach have time get on the same page. Chewing your food more fully also helps improve your digestion. By breaking food down into smaller pieces, your digestive system doesn’t have to work as hard to process and digest the food you take in.
This article is written by + Stu Lieberman the writer for Nutri-Health.com, an online High Quality Supplement and Health Store. Assisting people and helping them find quality supplements and health products online is what Stu has been doing for over 2 years. Nutri-Health.com carries Digestive Supplements to Probiotics to Joint Health Supplements.
