Holiday Eating Strategies

1. Eat four to six smaller meals rather than "saving" yourself for that special holiday meal

Smaller, more frequent meals enhance metabolic activity (meaning you burn more calories during the day).  They also will not cause insulin spikes……so your less likely to binge on those holiday treats, because your tummy will feel fuller throughout the day.

2. Plan a workout before a holiday party or big meal

Use all those scrumptious holiday foods as recovery from a hard run or bike ride. In the 1-2 hours after intense exercise, our bodies are more sensitive to the hormone insulin, which helps transport sugars to our depleted muscles. Use a holiday party to replenish your glycogen stores (sweet potatoes) and repair damaged muscle tissue (Thanksgiving turkey is GREAT for this)

3. When eating, SLOW DOWN!

Be the last to finish your plate…..It takes about 20 minutes for our brains to signal that we're actually full, which means a slow eater will consume less calories before feeling full than someone who races through their meal.

4. Take advantage of "nutritionally dense" holiday foods

Many holiday food staples can supply our bodies with health-enhancing nutrients and when consumed in moderation, can actually become year-round nutritional staples. So during this holiday season, be sure to include these health-enhancing foods:

Pumpkin:

Pumpkin is an excellent source of beta-carotene. Pumpkin is also a great source of iron, a mineral essential for transporting oxygen to our working cells. And surprisingly, canned pumpkin contains 15 times more beta-carotene than fresh pumpkin. Reduce the fat content of pumpkin pie by using egg substitute and evaporated skim milk instead of whole eggs and cream, and replace the traditional pastry crust with crushed ginger snap cookies or graham crackers instead.

Turkey:

Turkey has been a staple protein source. Turkey also provides significant sources of B-vitamins, selenium and zinc, nutrients essential for optimal nerve and immune function. If you skip the outer skin you'll avoid most of the fat. While white meat (turkey breast) is generally considered the most nutritious part of the bird with its low fat content, darker meat contains 10 percent more iron per three-ounce serving.

Sweet Potatoes:

A 4-ounce sweet potato contains a mere 143 calories and provides over 100 percent of our daily needs for beta-carotene. It also provides more than a quarter of our daily needs for vitamins C and E--nutrients that have been shown to help protect cell damage in athletes, as well as enhance muscle recovery after intense running efforts. In addition, sweet potatoes are an excellent source of iron.


5. Offer to bring a healthy dish to holiday parties

If you're concerned about unhealthy foods that are bound to be served at an upcoming function, bring your own.

For appetizers, you could bring a vegetable platter with low-fat dip; a  fruit platter with a dip made from nonfat yogurt, whole wheat pita triangles served with hummus; or baked tortilla chips with salsa and/or fat-free refried bean dip.

6. Watch your liquid calories, especially alcohol

Liquid calories can add up quickly (see Table below). Alcohol contains almost as many calories per gram as fat (seven calories vs. nine calories per gram)

Calories Found in Alcoholic Beverages

Beverage	Serving size	Calories
Beer	12 ounces	160
Light Beer	12 ounces	100
Non-alcoholic Beer	12 ounces	32
Red Wine	4 ounces	85
White Wine	4 ounces	80
Wine Cooler	8 ounces	120
Daiquiri	4 ounces	225
Margarita	4 ounces	270
Gin and tonic	4 ounces	150
Pina colada	4 ounces	262