The holidays and festivities are officially in full swing! Oh yeah, we can smell the pumpkin pie, candies canes and eggnog in the air! 🙂 If you’re like many of us, it seems that this time of year—every day starting with Thanksgiving; presents a festive opportunity and a chance to overindulge–eeks! So to make sure you keep your healthy eating habits and waistline intact, we want to share a few helpful tips that really help to keep our clients on track during the holiday season.
When preparing to eat a large meal, do not skip meals throughout the day. Although it’s tempting to save the calories for the bigger meal, skipping meals backfires as it results in consuming excessive calories at festivities—far more than you would have consumed had you eaten the previous meals. It’s very important to not skimp out on breakfast. Research has shown that people who eat breakfast, eat less calories during the day.
- Fill up on fiber—especially veggies. When you’re feeling full, you’re a lot less likely to overeat. Veggies are packed with fiber and are low in calories, so load up on them guilt-free since they’ll fill you up, not out.
How to do it: Include vegetables at every meal. Mix them into pasta sauce and soups; stack sandwiches and pizzas with spinach, onions and mushrooms; mix extra steamed broccoli into your Shrimp and Veggie Lo Mein; add extra lettuce and tomatoes to burritos; and fold asparagus, peas and bell peppers into your omelets.
2. Control portion sizes by using a smaller plate and filling up on veggies and salads before the main dish!
3. As you may have heard before, eat slowly and take your time between bites. Really enjoy your food instead of rushing through a meal. By eating slow, you can avoid the bloating feeling later!
4. With all this family time, be active TOGETHER! Go for a walk and enjoy the outdoors while you all have each other’s company 🙂
While this may be hard to do, it’s definitely possible! Start your path to eating healthy all year long, even during the holidays so you’ll be in happy, healthy routine every day!
Happy & Healthy Holidays! From our families to you and yours!