The family is sitting around the table, enjoying the holiday feast. The air smells of freshly cooked dishes. Every year, the family gathers around this time, and now it is no different.
The centerpiece of the dinner is a giant turkey, cooked to perfection and served with mashed potatoes, gravy, and stuffing. All the dishes, with fresh ingredients, look healthy, nutritious, and delicious.
The family cooked assorted vegetables, such as steamed green beans, roasted carrots, and Brussels sprouts, as a side dish. These vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals, adding flavor to the dinner.
The holiday season is a time for friends and family to get together, exchange gifts, and enjoy a good meal. Unfortunately, sometimes the food is high in fat, sugars, and calories, a problem if you try to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Remember, it’s easy for the extra pounds to end up on your hips in the last week of the year.
Here are some helpful tips for mastering healthy and without significant weight gain this season.
1 Cooking from the heart is essential. To show family and friends that you care about them, make recipes that use less butter, cream, lard, vegetable shortening, and other ingredients with a lot of saturated fat. Instead of red meat, use turkey or fish.
2 Do not go to a Christmas party hungry. So that you don’t have to go hungry at dinner, eat something light beforehand. A light snack of fruit, nuts, or seeds can satiate you and help you not overindulge. When it’s time for the big meal, choose healthy options, such as vegetable sticks or salads: Limit bread, cheese, and other processed snacks.
3 Take a break and relax. It takes a few minutes for your stomach to tell you that you are full. Take a 10-minute break after finishing your first helping. Make a conversation with the other person. Take a drink of water. It would help if you then rechecked your appetite. You might realize you are full or only want a few seconds.
4 The distance helps the heart. Stay away from the food table at the party. It makes it easier to reach for food if you think while you talk. If you are aware that you are prone to recreational eating, try popping a mint or a stick of gum to keep you from reaching for the chips.
5 Redefine cookie baking. Baking cookies is part of the holiday season, especially if you have children. There are wonderfully delicious alternatives to conventional cookie recipes. Cookies without white flour and table sugar, with dried fruits, nuts, and spices, not only taste great, but also contribute to good health.
6 Best healthy food. Start with a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and apples. For the main course, a lean cut of meat, such as turkey breast or salmon, and a side of quinoa or brown rice.
7 Avoid sweet drinks. Most drinks at parties or other events contain unnecessary sugar, alcohol, or artificial sweeteners. Of course, it’s best to drink water. However, if you prefer a little flavor or want to drink something different, you can resort, for example, to freshly squeezed juices. Alcohol increases your appetite and diminishes your ability to control what you eat.
8 Not recommended. For example, eggnog is a popular tradition, usually made with raw eggs, and can contain a large amount of alcohol, making it a bad idea. A glass of eggnog can set you back 500 calories. Wine, beer, and mixed drinks range from 150 to 225 calories. If you drink alcohol, have a glass of water or juice-flavored seltzer.
9 Remember to exercise and relax. Christmas is associated with enormous stress, lack of time, and overeating. After Christmas dinner, create a space for exercise and relaxation, even if it’s just a half-hour walk before bedtime.
10 Merry Christmas! Remember that Christmas is a time of tranquility and love. The best advice we can give you is to spend it in the company of your family. And don’t forget your friends either, they are like the stars. Even if you don’t see them, you know they are always there.
