It’s the Holiday Season- Dietitian Tips to help you through

The holidays are fast approaching, and it seems like this year will be back to normal, or at least closer to normal!  That means family gatherings, work parties, neighborhood get-togethers, and maybe even a friends gift exchange.  All of these wonderful social gatherings mean lots of food and drinks, Yum!

So what to do when you’re trying to eat a healthy balanced diet?

Here are a few dietitian approved (me!  I’m the dietitian☺) tips to help you navigate all the delicious food and drinks at all the fabulous events during this holiday season.

Let’s start before you even go to the party.  Here are a couple of things I like to try to do well in advance:

• A few days before: Check in with the host/hostess and see if there is anything you can bring.  Offer to bring a hummus platter for an appetizer, roasted veggies as a side, or a fresh fruit salad for dessert.  Then you know you have some healthy options to help balance some of the not-so-healthy options (hello candied yams).
• Morning of: Go burn some calories.  Don’t misunderstand me: a 30 minute jog (~300cal burned) isn’t going to make up for eating 8 pieces of pie (please don’t eat that much, that’s just a bellyache waiting to happen), but it will help energize you for day, and research shows making healthier choices earlier in the day can lead to healthier choices later in the day, so it’s a win win!
• Right before you go: Eat!  It sounds odd to tell you to eat before going to a social event you know is going to have tons of food, but if you go into a party starving, you’re going to eat too much too fast and not even stop to think.  BUT! If you’ve eaten a meal (2-4 hours prior) or snack (0-2 hours) before you go, you can take the time and make smarter food choices. 

Now that you’re headed to the event with your healthy dish in hand, energized from your workout, and properly fueled (not starving to “save all your calories for the party”), it’s time to go have some fun and enjoy yourself!  When you get there:

• Scan the room and see what they have to offer.  If anything is your favorite (buffalo chicken dip- yes please!) or really calling your name, then go ahead and have a little.  But don’t jump at the 1^st appetizer you see if it’s not something you enjoy.  If nothing seems good, hold off for dinner.  You don’t HAVE to eat appetizers just because they’re there.  
• Alcohol- if you enjoy an adult beverage, that’s great (if you don’t, no need to start or feel pressured to drink), but try to keep it in moderation.  That’s 1-2 drinks for women and 2-3 drinks for men.  I’m a big fan of every other: have a non-alcoholic drink 1^st, then an adult beverage, then back to non-alcoholic, see what I’m doing there?  Helps keep you hydrated and slows you down with the adult beverages.
• Non-alcoholic beverages- water is your best option, but pretty boring.  Go for seltzer with a splash of something, think lime, cranberry, pomegranate, etc. Be careful of punches or holiday beverages as they tend to be high in calories (I’m looking at you hot chocolate).  A taste is totally ok, but 2-3 cups can really add up.
• Dinner time!  Remember MyPlate when serving yourself.  (don’t remember? here’s the blog I wrote about it).  Load up half your plate with fruits and veggies, ¼ is protein, and the last ¼ is starches.  And, if you’re like me, you’ll take a tiny scoop of mashed potatoes so I can have another tiny scoop of stuffing.  I don’t want to pick, so I cut the serving size in half to have both!  I know, brilliant☺
• Dessert:  Just like when you 1^st arrived, take a quick look at the dessert offerings and pick 1-2 (or 3-4 if you take a tiny serving like me) of your favorites.  I always try to opt for homemade; I can get bakery cookies any time of the year, but my mom’s cream puffs are a rare occurrence, so those make the cut for sure.

Now you’re home, and it’s the next day, so it’s time to go back to your nice regularly planned meals and snacks.  If you went a little overboard, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT blame yourself for “having no willpower” or “falling off track” or feel guilty.  This isn’t a diet you’re on; this is life.  And social events do not make up the majority of your time, so indulging a little here and there is part of the fun!  So enjoy the event, the friends, family, and togetherness of this holiday season, and love yourself too while you’re at it.

Stay Happy, Stay Healthy

This blog was written by Chris Henigan MS, RD, LDN, co-founder of Simple Start Nutrition.  For more blog posts and nutrition information follow @simplestartnutrition on Instagram and Facebook.  Also feel free to contact us, by visiting our website (simplestartnutrition.com) to schedule an appointment to discuss your nutrition related needs.  We’re here to help.