Fortunately, it is possible to enjoy the 2021 holiday season while maintaining your healthy habits. Here are four tips to keep your health in check during the holidays:
Plan parties
Not only can pre-planning help you eat healthier options, it can also help you focus on other aspects of the holiday season in addition to eating. Try bringing a vegetable or fruit tray so you can make sure there is some low calorie, high fiber food available.
And when you fill your plate, try serving half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, then pick out one or two of your favorite treats. The lower-calorie option of fruits and vegetables will help balance your tasty calories, and the added fiber will help you stay full.
Another tip is to have regular, balanced meals and snacks throughout the day to keep yourself from starving yourself and overeating before a party.
Also, don’t forget to mingle away from the dinner table so you can properly meet others and enjoy your meal.
Try to avoid drinking calories
The holidays come with a fantastic drinks menu, but often with a high price of calories. Try to limit yourself to a holiday drink or two a day. Instead of a cocktail, try a “cranberry spritzer” (club soda with a splash of cranberry juice and a lime). This is lower in calories and without the added potential headache later on.
Other ways to enjoy vacation drinks with fewer calories are by ordering a smaller size or making your own at home with half the sugar.
Use low calorie ingredients
Your guests will often not see the difference. This includes replacing regular cream cheese with low-fat cream cheese, replacing sour cream with low-fat Greek yogurt, or when frying with low-sodium broth.
Don’t neglect the need for regular exercise
Exercise helps relieve stress and anxiety while also giving you an emotional lift when you need it most. Exercise can also offset the extra calories ingested, which can help with weight management. If you can’t keep up with your regular exercise regimen, try moving around during the day by taking walks, increasing the pace while shopping, or meeting friends for a get-together at the local ice rink or ski hill.
The holiday season is just as important as any other time to stay healthy and to avoid restarting or switching to healthy habits until 2022.
Do you need a new recipe for your cookie exchange? Try this low-sugar, low-fat St. Luke recipe:
Applesauce Choco Chip Cookies
Servings: 24 biscuits (1 biscuit per serving)
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup of oil
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup of honey
- 1 cup of uncooked oats
- 1 cup of whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups of chocolate chips
Directions:
In a large bowl, add applesauce, oil, egg, and honey. Mix to combine well. Add the oatmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir to combine and add chocolate chips.
Chill the dough for 10-15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Using a scoop or two spoons, place round tablespoons of batter on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 11-13 minutes, until the edges of the biscuits are lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes before eating.
Nutritional information per serving:
122 calories, 2 grams of protein, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fat, 79 milligrams of sodium.
Rachelle Goebel
Rachelle Goebel, RDN, LD, is a clinical nutritionist at St. Luke.
