The Holidays are times to enjoy being with family and friends. Often times we tend to overeat on our favorite traditional holiday treats and meals. Here are some strategies to enjoy holiday eating without having to deal with the after effects of those pesky holiday pounds.
Eat the healthiest choices first. Eating fresh fruit and vegetables as an appetizer before the main course will help you feel satisfied and motivated to eat healthier throughout the course of the meal.
Eat breakfast. This has been shown to prevent overeating later in the day. Especially, when there will be large quantities of food served at a holiday dinner party!
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.
Drink more water and less sugary drinks. Drinking a large glass of water before a meal can help you avoid overeating during a holiday meal. Also, choosing water can help limit the high calorie and sugar intake from soda and other sugary drinks.
Use smaller plates and serving utensils. Try using a salad or dessert plate for the main course. Often times we forget proper portions during the holidays and tend to fill out plate with all the foods we want to eat. Yet, when we limit overeating with controlling our portion sizes we also limit the amount of calories we consume.
