Banister Nutrition’s Holiday Tips for Managing Food

Holidays can be tough when it comes to managing food and drinks in relation to our weight. How do you even begin to stay balanced with snacks and sweets around every corner? We decided to have our Registered Dietitians weigh in with some tips and tricks to help you tackle the holiday food challenges!

Here are the top 12:

~Look over all the food first (stand back and formulate a game plan in your head) decide what is really special and enjoy small amounts of those foods without guilt.

~Skip the foods that were just purchased at grocery stores (nothing special there), stick to the home-made items.

~Check your sleep, are you actually hungry or just really tired?

~Have emotional “check-ins”. Don’t let your tinsel get in a tangle and mindlessly eat. The extra cookies, candy, cheese and crackers will only take you to momentary relief.

~Remember that this is a season of “joy” and you should en”joy” your company.

~Instead of getting overwhelmed with your preparations, practice thinking of them as your gifts to your loved ones and remember to focus on the real reason for the season.

~Don’t skip meals anticipating the holiday meal or party.  Eat light and healthy before. This will decrease your hunger and increase willpower.

~Always offer to bring a healthy dish (fruit and veggie tray, sparkling water, etc.).

~Decrease alcoholic drinks by putting a limit on yourself.

~Don’t continue to eat a food unless it is worth it! Take a bite and assess if another is worth the calories. Don’t even put foods on you plate unless they look good!

~Add an extra exercise session for each holiday party. A 30 min walk will burn off the extra 200-300 calories you will eat at the party.

~Mark your calendar for the days between the parties that need to be your usual routine.  It isn’t the holidays that change our weight and our health it is the days in between that add up to too many days of indulgence. -SY