11 Healthy Holiday-Eating Strategies

Holidays are approaching, which means family/friends gatherings, staying at home and eating - a lot and not necessarily healthy.

Every Christmas season we buy, cook and eat  enormous quantities of cookies, pies, meat, etc. and it seems like we can't help it. But actually, we can.

Here are 11 eating strategies that we advise you to adopt for the upcoming holidays, in order to maintain your healthy diet and avoid flare-ups and inflammations for those who have problems with their digestive system.

1. Bring your own food.

Contribute a healthy dish to a gathering to ensure there’s something you can indulge in.

2. Eat the best-for-you offerings first.

For example, hot soup as a first course―especially when it's broth-based, not cream-based―can help you avoid eating too much during the main course.

3. Stand more than an arm's length away from munchies while you chat.

So you're not tempted to raise your hand to your mouth every few seconds.

4. Keep track of what you eat.

Maintain a food diary to help you stay committed to your goals during this risky eating period.

5. Weigh yourself daily and use that number to guide your actions.

Research has shown that women who step on the scale every day and then act accordingly, either increasing their exercise or being stricter about their eating, are 82 percent less likely to regain lost weight than those who don’t weigh in as often.

6. Eat before going to a party.

Before going out, have a healthy snack to curb your appetite.

7. Eat breakfast.

This has been shown to prevent overeating later in the day.

8. Choose foods wisely.

Fill your plate with low-calorie items, such as leafy green salads, vegetable dishes, and lean proteins, and take smaller portions of the richer ones. That way, you can eat a larger amount of food for fewer calories and not feel deprived.

9. Pop a sugar-free mint in your mouth.

When you’ve had enough (and don’t want to eat more), the feeling of a fresh palate can curb additional noshing.

10. Manage portion size.

Use smaller plates and serving utensils. Try a salad or dessert plate for the main course and a teaspoon to serve yourself.  In one study conducted at the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University, even nutrition experts served themselves 31 percent more ice cream when using oversize bowls compared with smaller bowls. The size of the serving utensil mattered, too: Subjects served themselves 57 percent more when they used a three-ounce scoop versus a smaller scoop.

11. Keep Up the Exercise.

If you don’t have time for your daily four-mile walk, do a few 10- or 15-minute spurts of exercise throughout the day. They can be just as effective at maintaining overall fitness as one continuous workout. All the running around you’re doing (cleaning for houseguests, dashing through a million stores to find the perfect presents) can also help keep your weight in check.

Finally, keeping your diet healthy during the holiday season isn't easy and need to be rewarded. So don't hesitate to choose your indulgencies, but do it carefully. Allow yourself a biscuit a day or try cooking healthy low sugar desserts. You can find plenty of recipes on the internet, and you can also try this wonderful recipe of low sugar, no butter Chocolate truffles that we have recently shared on Carenity.

Don't hesitate to share your own favourite Christmas recipes!