Tip #87: My Top 10 Tips for Holiday Eating

Raise your hand if you throw your common sense out the window over the holidays, and indulge in whatever you want!  I think we've all been guilty at one time or another.  I know we're heading into winter, and you may be able to hide the bulge with baggy sweaters and jackets.  That would be great if your appearance was all that mattered, but it certainly is not!  Even if you can fool the rest of us, you can't fool your heart nor your health.  Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations provide some of the most delicious food of the year, and it can be tough to not go overboard.  But there is a way to enjoy scrumptious holiday food and not fall off the deep end with your health.

My Holiday Eating Tips:
1.  For potluck type celebrations, bring something healthy and make it part of your own meal.
2.  Skip the gravy (or take just a tad).
3.  Fill most of your plate with the healthier options:  meats (minus the gravy), veggies, fruits, whole grains (if there are any!).
4.  Take small "taste-sized" portions of the not so healthy options.  I still enjoy tasting the unhealthy options, I just don't fill up on them!
5.  You've heard "Drink Responsibly", well how about, "Eat Responsibly".  Know when to stop.  Don't make yourself sick.
6. Choose 1-2 foods to "indulge" in...not 10.
7. Don't go too long without eating.  Odd tip for the holidays I know.  Often a holiday meal might be at a different time then you would usually eat, and by the time you get to the celebration, you are starving!  I'm convinced that hungry stomachs, cloud good decision making.  This goes along with the whole principle of not going grocery shopping when you're really hungry.  :)
8. If you are hosting, do your family, your friends, and yourself all a favor and don't leave food out ALL day long.  If food is out, people (including you) will eat it...hungry or not.
9. Have one "non-water" beverage (or 1-2 lower calorie beverages like coffee or tea), and then stick to water after that.  Drinks are sneaky; the calories add up fast!
10. Slice your own dessert.  If you have a sweet tooth like I do, dessert is a given.  But, you don't have to take the portion size that is given.  Often a pie or cake is already sliced, and sliced too big!  Dessert is a fun thing for the taste buds after a meal; not meant to be a meal in itself.  Instead of taking the huge slice of apple pie, slice your own portion.

So there you go.  I usually stick to these, and am able to really enjoy the food and the celebration without feeling sick or guilty afterwards!  If all ten tips seem unattainable, then try out even a few.  Food was made to be enjoyed, not abused.  So enjoy it!!!