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1. Eat regularly and never skip a meal so you can eat more later. You’ll be so hungry by the time you get to the goodies, you’ll tend to go for foods higher in fat, sugar and calories over healthier options. Try to eat every 3-4 hours to help control blood sugars and keep your energy up. Have a snack after lunch instead of skipping lunch before your big dinner party!
2. Focus on weight maintenance, not weight loss. Now is not the time to focus on losing weight. It’s important that you don’t set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals.
3. Give your favorite holiday recipes a makeover. You can cut 1/3 of the fat or the sugar in most recipes without even noticing. Try using low-fat plain yogurt instead of sour cream in dips (a great way to increase your calcium intake too). Substitute applesauce or low-fat plain yogurt for half the oil to reduce the fat in breads, muffins and cakes
4. Beverages beware! Calories you drink still count, including alcohol, eggnog and punch. The average alcoholic beverage contains between 150 and 450 calories. Try limiting your alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day for women and two for men. Lower calorie alternatives include club soda, diet soda and water.
5. Remember the 80/20 Rule. What you eat in one day is not going to break your healthy eating routine; it’s what you do most days that really matters. Try eating well 80 percent of the time, leaving 20 percent to indulge in your favorite foods.
6. Exercise is important too. Try to be physically active every day: park the car further from the shops, take the stairs instead of the elevator, go for a brisk walk with friends before dinner, take up a winter sport! Physical activity helps regulate your appetite, relieve stress, and burn those extra calories from holiday foods.
Need help planning meals? click here for an interactive menu planner
For gravies or sauces — If you are making pan gravy, first skim the fat off pan drippings. For cream or white sauces, use fat-free (skim) milk and soft tub or liquid margarine.
For dressings or stuffing — Add low-sodium broth or pan drippings with the fat skimmed off instead of lard or butter. Use herbs and spices and a whole grain bread for added flavor.
For biscuits — Use vegetable oil instead of lard or butter and fat-free (skim) milk or 1 percent buttermilk instead of regular milk.
For greens — Use skin-free smoked turkey, liquid smoke, fat-free bacon bits, or low-fat bacon instead of fatty meats.
For sweet potato pie — Mash sweet potato with orange juice concentrate, nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, and only one egg. Leave out the butter.
For cakes, cookies, quick breads, and pancakes — Use egg whites or egg substitute instead of whole eggs. Two egg whites can be substituted in many recipes for one whole egg. Use applesauce instead of some of the fat.
For meats and poultry (chicken and turkey) —◊ Trim away all of the visible fat from meats and poultry before cooking.
◊ Take off poultry skin before eating.
◊ Broil, grill, roast, poach, or boil meat, poultry, or fish instead of frying.
◊ Drain off any fat that appears during cooking.
◊ Chill meat and poultry broth until fat becomes solid. Skim off fat before using the broth.
◊ Skip or limit the breading on meat, poultry, or fish. Breading adds fat and calories. It will also cause the food to soak up more fat during frying.
◊ Choose and prepare foods without high fat sauces or gravies.
Start with a lean choice.◊ The leanest beef cuts include round steaks and roasts (round eye, top round, bottom round, round tip), top loin, top sirloin, and chuck shoulder and arm roasts.
◊ The leanest pork choices include pork loin, tenderloin, center loin, and ham.
◊ Boneless skinless chicken breasts and turkey cutlets are the leanest poultry choice.
◊ Choose extra lean ground beef. The label should say at least “90% lean.” You may be able to find ground beef that is 93% or 95% lean.
◊ Processed meats such as hams, sausages, frankfurters, and luncheon or deli meats have added sodium. Check the ingredient and Nutrition Facts label to help limit sodium intake.
◊ Fresh chicken, turkey, and pork that have been enhanced with a salt-containing solution also have added sodium. Check the product label for statements such as “self-basting” or “contains up to __% of __.”
◊ Lower fat versions of many processed meats are available. Look on the Nutrition Facts label to choose products with less fat and saturated fat.
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