COLUMN: Ten tips for eating healthy this holiday season
Because sometimes it’s nice to have a little reminder.
1. Stop eating when you’re full: Avoid taking second helpings just because the food tastes good. Dish up your plate knowing that’s all you’re going to eat and then just enjoy it. Usually eating one helping of a tasty meal is enough to fill you up. And remember that it can take up to 20 minutes after eating to realize how full you actually are.
2. Educate yourself: You might be surprised by what you find out regarding what is and what isn’t healthy. Do a little research on the foods you eat, more than just looking at the sugar or carbohydrate content.
3. Plan social activities that don’t revolve around food: It’s almost automatic to think of going the gas station for hot chocolate, having friends over for brownies or going out to dinner when you’re planning social outings. Instead, try planning something that will get you moving, like a sledding trip, an indoor game of ultimate Frisbee or ice skating at Merlin Olsen Park.
4. Eat healthy meals: This time of year it’s hard enough to resist plates of cookies lying around the kitchen and delicious home cooked meals at your mom’s. In the meantime, do yourself a favor by sticking to healthy choices for your basic meals, such as a bowl of oatmeal in the morning or a sandwich on wheat bread for lunch. Having a healthy foundation can help you maintain some stability even if you are eating more sweets than usual.
5. Beware of drinks: Holiday drinking can be a big source of extra (and empty) calorie intake. Alcoholic drinks are extremely high in calories, but so are sodas, punches and any other sugary drinks. It’s a good idea to limit yourself to one glass of punch and then drink water after that.
6. Don’t eat something just because it’s in front of you: I know this seems a little obvious, but it’s actually really hard to do. Don’t eat that stale cookie left over from last week just because it’s on the counter. Don’t eat candy you don’t even like that much just because it was free in the Taggart Student Center.
Don’t eat those boring store-bought donuts at your club meeting just because someone offers you one. Save up and indulge on something really delicious that you love to eat instead of eating sweets because they are laying around.
7. Lighten up: Sometimes you can really cut a recipe’s fat and calories down by switching to light cream cheese, low-fat butter substitutes, one percent milk, etc. It may take a trial run to see what you can cut out before losing flavor.
I think light eggnog is just as good as the real thing, and no one will notice if you cut the butter in the stuffing down a little bit. Also, if you replace half of the oil or butter in goodies recipes with applesauce they will usually taste just as great.
8. Avoid store-bought snacks and going out: Even at this time of year when we love baking more than we should and just all-out feasting, it’s still healthier to eat at home. Lots of store-baked goodies have extra oil to keep them fresh longer, along with other preservatives and unhealthy ingredients.
Also, at home you have more control of your portion size than you do when you go out to eat. If you do go out, eat half of your meal there and take the other half home for lunch the next day.
9. Be careful of oblivious grazing: When food is out, people munch. But remember, just because you’re only taking a pinch/bite/dip, it’s still adding up. The best thing to do is be aware of how much you are eating without knowing you’re doing it.
10. Use seasonal produce whenever you can: Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be eating lots of fresh fruit and veggies. Pears, pomegranates, spinach, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cranberries, acorn squash, broccoli, oranges and carrots are all in season right now.
A fresh relish tray is a great way to get some healthy snacking in, especially if you use light sour cream in the dip. Almost any vegetable can be made into a delicious side dish by tossing it with a little olive oil and some spices and roasting it in the oven.
– Jennelle Clark is a senior majoring in psycholoy who runs the online food blog foodislikeart.blogspot.com. She loves making, eating and sharing her food. Send comments to jenn.wilson@aggiemail.usu.edu.