Wednesday, December 3, 2014
By: Susanne Ware - TNT Health Educator
We've all been there during the holiday season. You've committed to a healthier way of eating and have stayed the course on the way to your goal. And then....BAM! The holiday party invitations start rolling in. But don't worry! We have 9 secrets we are going to share to help you survive those parties and stay on track. And the best part...you won't even feel like you are missing out on all the holiday cheer!
Bring Your Own Food
1. 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, like a bowl of nuts or chips, while you chat so you're not tempted to raise your hand to your mouth every few seconds.
4. Concentrate on your meal while you're eating it. Focus on chewing your food well and enjoying the smell, taste, and texture of each item. Research shows that mealtime multitasking (whether at home or at a party) can make you pop mindless calories into your mouth. Of course, dinner-party conversation is only natural, but try to set your food down until you're finished chatting so you are more aware of what you're taking in.
Snack Before a Party
5. Before going out, have a healthy snack to curb your appetite.
6. Eat breakfast. This has been shown to prevent overeating later in the day.
7. Limit the number of high-calorie foods on your party plate. Research has shown that when faced with a variety of foods with different tastes, textures, smells, shapes, and colors, people eat more―regardless of their true hunger level. Cutting down on your personal smorgasbord can decrease what you end up eating by 20 to 40 percent.
8. Choose foods wisely, filling your plate with low-calorie items, such as leafy green salads, vegetable dishes, and lean proteins, and taking 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.