‘Tis The Season:
Tips for Eating Healthy at the Holidays
By Bev Bromfield
Helpful Visual Hints for Serving Sizes
How can you judge if you are eating appropriate portion sizes or if you are eating within your meal plan? The following helpful visual guidelines may help!
Visual Guide:
Thumb Tip = 1 tsp |
Example:
1 tsp mayonnaise, salad dressing, or margarine |
| Thumb = 1 oz |
1 oz cheese or meat |
| Palm = 3oz |
3 oz cooked meat (boneless) |
| Tight Fist = ½ cup |
1 serving noodles or rice
1 serving canned fruit |
| Loose Fist = 1 cup |
1 cup vegetables |
| Handful = 1 cup |
2 servings pasta, 2 servings
cooked vegetables |
| 2 bars of hotel soap |
2 small cookies |
| Cupcake wrapper |
4 oz wine |
Note: Guidelines hold true for most women’s hands,
but some men’s hands are much larger.
At home always serve meals in the same size plates, glasses, and bowls. This helps judge correct portions without always having to use measuring tools.
From Complete Guide to Carb Counting by Hope
Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDE and Karmeen Kulkarni,
MS, RD, CDE published by the American Diabetes
Association. |
“Tis the Season” can bring many challenges for people living with diabetes, heart disease, or other diseases impacted by an abundance of food either at home or through social activities. With a little know-how, traditions and entertaining can still be part of the holiday season. Tips to help prepare for eating healthy during the holidays include:
Plan ahead: Going out of town? Having guests for dinner, conducting parties or other food-oriented events? What options are available for being active? Plan ahead by identifying menu choices. Save time and reduce stress by preparing side dishes ahead of time or cook only a turkey breast which cooks more quickly than a whole turkey. If traveling, find ways to maintain activity levels. Take advantage of opportunities. Walking is an excellent option. Take a pedometer to keep track of steps whether indoors or outside seeing neighborhood decorations or shopping.
Make small changes: Try fine-tuning traditional holiday foods to be healthier. A traditional holiday dinner can add up to 4,500 calories if appetizers, eggnog, turkey, trimmings, and dessert are included. Redesign dinner with delicious lower-fat dishes. For example, try substituting green beans with roasted peppers and triple herbs for the traditional green bean and mushroom soup casserole. Not only is this a healthier option it adds festive colors to the table. Also, consider steaming vegetables versus sautéing them in butter as well as substituting fat-free or light sour cream in casseroles instead of regular. Serve more grains such as brown rice instead of white as well as fruit and vegetable dishes. Substitute white turkey meat for dark, make the traditional cranberry sauce, and skim the fat off the gravy.
Don’t feel deprived by cutting favorite foods: Missing out on favorite holiday foods such as the usual pumpkin pie or Mom’s heavenly fudge can lead to frustration. To avoid feeling deprived, simply think smaller portions. This may also mean eating less of other treats, increasing activity levels, or if you have diabetes, increasing insulin doses. Don’t forget holiday drinks (i.e. eggnog) which are loaded with calories. To save on calories, try adding a flavoring such as eggnog or a favorite liqueur in coffee. The goal is to focus on taste rather than fill up on high calorie foods and snacks.
Holiday parties: Eat a small snack before attending parties. This will help avoid overeating when a variety of food choices are readily available. Don’t socialize by the food table. Focus on enjoying the company and event. If attending a potluck, bring a familiar dish that’s healthy. Look choices over before selecting. Fill up on vegetables, poultry, and seafood. Again, watch portion sizes and nibbling. Don’t pile your plate or go back for seconds. To avoid nibbling, have a mint or chew gum to decrease temptation. Also, consider avoiding salty snacks which can lead to drinking too many high calorie drinks.
Social pressure: Decide in advance on how to handle social pressure. Changing years of thinking and communication patterns takes time. For example, Aunt Millie’s pumpkin cheesecake can present a real challenge especially when she insists it be eaten. Choices can be made such as smiling pleasantly and refusing or taking a few bites to savor the taste, indicating how delicious it was. It may seem rude to leave a hunk of cheesecake but it’s equally as rude for a host or hostess to insist on eating something that may cause a negative health impact. Consider discussing eating and activity goals with family and friends prior to the holidays and how they can best offer support.
With a little planning, maintaining overall health needs can still be part of the holiday season. It may take three to four holidays before the right plan is identified. Learn from experiences and adjust strategies based on what worked and what didn’t. Eating well is one of the joys of the holiday. Just remember, be mindful of the foods that are eaten. And above all, don’t get discouraged, be patient, and keep trying! |
