I can’t believe Christmas is just a few days away. Most of us are busy running around making last-minute preparations. The holidays are filled with family, friends, joys, and food! Sometimes we when to over endugle during the holidays and feel a ton of guilt afterwards.
Is there any way to do it better – to keep the delicious food, the joy, and the cheer, and ease out the excess? Most of us don’t want to skip the traditional goodies like sweet potato casserole and cake altogether—we just want to find a way to sample these seasonal treats in moderation.
Here four tips for healthy eating for Christmas to make this year’s holiday dinner one without the guilt.
1: Start your day with a healthy and filling breakfast to make it easier to say no later on in the day. If you have guests in the house, cook up a big frittata or quiche full of vegetables and lean mean, so everyone starts their day with some protein and fiber. It may seem counterintuitive to eat more before Christmas dinner, but studies show that skipping breakfast on the day of a big meal will just make you more likely to overindulge and make bad choices later on in the day.
2: Start your meal with a healthy salad or soup as an appetizer. This allows everyone to fill up on fiber and vegetables before moving on to the more calorie dense main course. Experts also note that fiber also can slow the absorption of sugar. Serve a beautifully plated salad or soup made with fresh produce.
3: Try a baby kale salad, for a delicious and nutritious side dish. New to the market in the past year or so, baby kale is regular kale that is harvested when it’s only two to three weeks old. The baby kale leaf is about the same size as mixed baby lettuces and a whole lot healthier, adding more calcium, iron, Vitamin A and other nutrients to the salad bowl. You’ve never tasted kale as tender and delicious. Fall is kale’s season and it works well with a number of toppings of fruit like apples, dried cranberries, pomegranate seeds or roasted pears.
4: To help encourage guests to practice better portion control, serve heavier foods like stuffing and pie from a buffet instead of placing dishes in the center of the table. Put the salad, greens beans, and other healthy choices in the center of the table, which will cut down on the mindless snacking and third helpings of stuffing and cranberry sauce.
I hope these tips help you and that you have a wonderful holiday.
Tiki
