Healthy Holidays

[missbee23]

The holidays will soon be upon us. For many of us that means fighting the battle of the binge. The average person gains about 2-5 lbs during the holidays (from Thanksgiving to New Year's). Who can blame us? Two whole months of the most scrumptious goodies, feasts, and celebrations with loved ones. Anyone who has tried to eat healthy during this time can tell you what a struggle it can be when you constantly have rich foods coming in relentless waves. But the holidays can be both healthy and delicious. We can enjoy our food and eat it too! What are some healthy versions of your favorite holiday dishes? I'll get the ball rolling: as an alternative to our usual peppermint bark, this year we will have white chocolate covered cranberries. Cranberries are full of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. What are your healthy holiday alternatives?

 

[clairebeautiful]

I'll be honest. My holiday food is actually not terribly unhealthy on its own. I don't feel like I need to do any substitutions.

For Turkey day of course I do a traditional bird and mashed potatoes and gravy. I usually do a fresh green something, whether it is green beans or asparagus - sautéed or roasted, not boiled in bacon fat or butter. I might do sweet potatoes too this year, because I'm cooking for a crowd. Will probably have a "poopoo" platter of seasonal raw veggies and olives, maybe some deviled eggs.

And then probably one or two pie options for dessert.

I think the big thing on holidays, in addition to the rich foods (for many) is just overeating. I think you can stay proportionally healthy even if the food is a bit richer if you don't allow yourself to give in to the sentiment, "It's the holidays! It's okay!"

 

[Caribbean girl]

Well to be honest, I have not given a thought to this. During the Christmas holiday season most people just "let their hair down" and indulge in all the lovely traditional foods of the season. The type of things I eat at Christmas time, I do not eat during the year. It is only at this time of the year that I really indulge in certain delicacies. However, I do believe that we should limit the amount that we consume at this time. We could eat the same holiday foods and desserts, but in moderation. I think the over indulgence is where the problem is. It would not feel like Christmas to me if I totally gave up the traditional foods of the season, so I guess I could just do a little cutting back here and there.

 

[xTinx]

Fruit salad any day for me - albeit it's not particularly diabetic-friendly. Unfortunately, I hardly see sugar-free products in our local grocery stores that don't have aspartame in them. It's always regular condense milk and regular cream (heaven knows how much sugar content these ingredients have). Sometimes, we whip up garden salad and chicken salad simultaneously. They make for generally healthy holiday treats.

 

[Ella]

I think it's a good break to actually enjoy the food without feeling guilty or thinking too much. It's the one time you can eat a whole box of chocolates in front of others and it's okay. Everyone knows afterwards people go on a diet or go for longer walks, but food is to be enjoyed as long as you don't over eat. I tend to snack more as people buy boxes of biscuits/cookies and chocolates and I eat them as I don't want them to go to waste!

 

[Caribbean girl]

Since we tend to eat more around the holiday season, and we also indulge in a lot of delicacies like chocolates, cakes and cookies, not to mention the various desserts at this time, going on a 3-day fast afterwards would be a good idea. By fasting I do not mean eating absolutely nothing, but instead, drinking lots of juices and substituting some light soups for heavier meals. It would be a good idea to cut back on meat and starches, and refrain from indulging in sweets or desserts of any kind. This would allow the body to get rid of a lot of toxins which would have built up over the holiday season. Drinking adequate amounts of water would also be a good idea. I mentioned a 3-day fast, but some people may be able to fast for a longer period of time.

 

[Indigo02]

Well, I'm not spending Thanksgiving or New Year's with the family, so I should be okay. I'll be cooking for myself, I can maintain my habits. Christmas is concerning. I know my dad will cook, both grandmothers will cook, I'm sure friends will try to invite me over, and it's hard because you don't want to be rude. I guess the best course of action is to drink plenty of water, try to load up on whatever veggies are present, and small servings of everything else.

 

[DancingLady]

I avoid piling the plate. Even though it is a holiday, I remind myself that if I overeat, the pleasure I get from it will not last longer than the amount of time I spend sitting at the table and the discomfort and regret will last at least a few hours, if not a few days if I have to work out extra to burn it off.

To make things healthier, we use whole grains for everything, no white flour, no white rice. I also decline the sweetened whipped cream and the ice cream and eat only the punkin part of the pie, leave the crust. If I know I am going to have a large meal that will go way over average on calories I have a very light breakfast and lunch to compensate so that I come out about right at the end of the day. Eating lots of fiber also helps.