Eating healthy for the holidays can be difficult. MU dietitian Michelle Bauche told Missourinet that if you are hosting a family gathering, reach out to your guests ahead of time to make sure each diet restriction is met.
“That way you can start that planning process early and you can kind of work around some of those things,” Bauche said. “The other thing I would suggest is ask if they would rather you prepare foods that fit within their dietary restrictions or if they would prefer to bring something of their own.”
Bauche also recommends that you use smaller plates to help manage portion sizes and avoid overeating.
The holidays are only a few days over the course of a 30-day timespan. Therefore, a little overindulging on one or two days won’t mean the end of the world if you already practice healthy habits.
“So as long as you are still maintaining good healthy habits like exercising regularly, trying to get enough sleep, drink enough water, things that we hear all the time, all of those good healthy habits that you are used to practicing, those things will matter more than what you eat or do just once in a while,” said Bauche.
Another food tip is to eat slowly and savor your food. It helps you recognize when you are full and prevents overeating. But the most important food tip is to plan ahead before attending holiday gatherings.
“It allows you to think ahead like ‘oh, I’m going to have, you know, a bigger meal at this point. Or we’re going out to eat, maybe I’ll look at the menu online ahead of time,’” she said. “Or, ‘oh, we’re going to be traveling a lot so let me try to find some other ways that I can sneak in a little bit more movement or activity.’”
Bauche said that thinking ahead can help you adjust for activities you normally would not do on a daily basis. And she said that it is okay to indulge a little, but moderation is key.
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