Published Friday, November 17, 2023 at 10:43 pm.
November is traditionally the start of the eating season.
After you finish your last Halloween treat, check out these buffets, lunches, parties, dinners, and cookie exchanges. OH MY GOD! It's enough to turn your head and increase your waistline.
Sauces, desserts and drinks contain so much fat and sugar that the average weight gain between November 1 and December 31 is about 5 pounds. It's not much, but have you been working hard to lose 10 pounds?
And if you don't take it, you add it next year. Don't let all the hard work you've done throughout the year fly out the window.
Here are some great tips to survive this most dangerous time of the year.
Buy wisely. Plan your meals to include plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, seafood, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. To reduce calories, add nuts, cheese, cream sauce, gravy, butter and whipped cream.
Start the party on a light note. Most snacks tend to be high in calories. And they are so easy to eat before a meal. Enliven the lives of your guests by offering light and hearty snacks. Try shrimp cocktail, whole wheat crackers with low-fat cheese, vegetables with low-fat yogurt, or fresh fruit sticks for tempting yet healthy snacks.
He does it with ease and ease. Add simpler fruits and vegetables to your menu instead of dishes full of sauces. Your guests will get plenty of healthy fiber without the extra calories. For example, almond green beans with a squeeze of lemon are healthier than a traditional green bean casserole. Plain peas or corn are healthier than creamed peas or corn. But if you need a stew, use a fat-free soup, increase the amount of vegetables and replace fried onions with crunchy, unsweetened cereals.
Cut calories with simple substitutions. Create healthier versions of your favorite holiday treats by cutting calories where you can. Simply substituting low-fat ingredients is an easy way to save calories and no one will notice the difference. Use low-sodium chicken broth or bone broth, low-fat yogurt, light cream cheese, and low-fat milk instead of high-fat ingredients. When cooking, replace the butter with low-fat yogurt or applesauce.
Drink alcohol. Offer your customers an alternative to high-calorie drinks and high-sugar alcohols. Unsweetened tea, sparkling or low sugar water.
Attending a party and not cooking?
Before you leave the house, eat a healthy snack and a large glass of water. Don't stay hungry as this will cause you to overeat.
Find healthier options: raw vegetables, fruits, cheeses and lean meats. Of course you will be tempted to treat yourself to delicious sweets, don't deprive yourself of them.
Take a bite, but not the whole cookie. Find someone to share it with and give it a try.
Do not graze, eat a snack and then leave the feeding area. Return to your normal healthy eating and fitness routine tomorrow.
A little planning, a little determination, and you can get through the meal season relatively unscathed. Regards. On your way to a healthy holiday.
Jodi Holton writes about health for Port Arthur Newsmedia. He can be contacted at jholton3@gt.rr.com.