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Ah, the holiday season…the time for parties and catching up with friends and family—usually over some holiday treats, beverages and special festive meals. But although most holiday celebrations tend to revolve around eating and drinking, you don't need to give up your good intentions to live a healthy lifestyle.
The holiday season really starts in early December and continues until early January—it's a lot easier to stay energized and enjoy yourself when you don't spend those five weeks overindulging.
| "...get away from all-or-nothing thinking." |
According to the Dietitians of Canada, with a bit of planning, you can navigate your way through the holiday season to a healthy New Year and still enjoy the celebrations. In fact, even small changes can have a big impact on your overall health and vitality every day of the year.
12 strategies for healthy and delicious eating this holiday season
- Don't skip meals or starve yourself before you head off to a party.
This just sets you up for over-eating. Instead, plan your day to include healthy foods that provide a feeling of fullness such as high-fibre cereals, non-fat milk or yoghurt, vegetable soups, cut up veggies such as red, yellow and green peppers, baby carrots, and small pieces of fruit such as apples, bananas and mandarins.
- Trade off a few extra calories by increasing your physical activity.
Take a couple of brisk 10 to 15-minute walks during the day. Instead of heading off to a movie, invite everyone to an afternoon of skating, cross-country skiing or tobogganing.
- Use the Nutrition Facts table on the package to make choices that are lower in fat and calories.
For more information on how you can use food product labels to make smart food choices, visit the Nutrition Labelling Education Centre.
- Adopt the pot-luck formula to reduce holiday entertaining stress.
Instead of spending your day preparing food, ask your friends to bring their favourite healthy dish and use the time to do something nice for yourself, such as heading to a yoga class or taking a walk in the park.
- Feature fruit and vegetables as part of an international menu.
Consider an Asian-style veggie platter with mini corn and snow peas. Get creative by including salsa, or a dip made of black beans or roasted peppers, and serve it in half a bell pepper.
- It's not so much what you eat as how much you eat.
Go ahead and enjoy a piece of shortbread or cheese-just keep your eye on portion size.
- Reduce calories in holiday drinks.
Good choices are a spritzer made with sparking water and cranberry juice, a virgin Caesar or lower fat eggnog.
- Replace high-calorie chips and dips with lower fat options.
Cut-up veggies such as zucchini or cucumber spears, broccoli flowerets, carrot curls or endive and low fat spreads such as hummus make great alternatives. Instead of salty, higher-fat snack crackers, serve flatbread, Melba toast or baked pita triangles.
- Instead of ending a meal with a gooey, calorie-laden dessert, serve a platter of exotic fresh fruit.
Pineapple, kiwi, mango, pomegranate, mandarin oranges and grapes taste delicious at the end of a meal.
- Make sure you drink lots of water.
Sometimes when you think you're hungry, you may actually be thirsty and find that a glass of water is as satisfying as something to eat.
- After you've eaten, brush your teeth or chew gum.
Without the food flavour in your mouth, it's easier to stop eating.
- Learn how to say no by planning your strategy in advance.
Before going to a party, think about what you're going to say if someone offers you food you would rather not eat. Plan to say things like, I tried it and it was great, thank you very much or Thanks, but I'm really full right now.
Finally, get away from all-or-nothing thinking, advises Vancouver dietitian Heather McColl. "If you eat too much on one occasion," she says, "jump right back on the healthy lifestyle bandwagon." Step away from the buffet table and get back to your exercise and healthy eating habits the very next day.
Stay positive and pace yourself. And give yourself a big pat on the back! You're off to a great start for the New Year.
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This article was prepared by Kristin Jenkins, a Toronto writer and editor who specializes in health and medicine with input from the 
