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Holiday Food Temptations

in The Too Busy to Diet Blog on December 22, 2014

Written by Claire Allen, MSCP dietetic graduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago. It’s that time of year again where holiday parties are a regular occurrence and delicious treats are temping us all.  In an effort to minimize the holiday weight gain that often accompanies these gatherings, I’ve listed a few tips to follow the next time you head out to your holiday party:

• Don’t show up on an empty stomach: Make sure to have a snack before you head out; the hungrier you are, the more likely you will be to load up your plate with fattening and sugar latent foods.
• Make a small plate and then walk away: Try not to graze at the food table.  Make a plate and then walk away and enjoy your food over a conversation with friends.
• Bring a healthy dish to share: If you are concerned that all of the food is going to be unhealthy, bring dish that you’ve made yourself so that you are assured you will have a light food option.
• Avoid going for seconds, and thirds: Make your plate and try to stick to that plate only.
• Enjoy yourself: Take pleasure in foods that you don’t normally eat, just keep their consumption to a minimum.  Above all, don’t stress too much about what you are eating and enjoy yourself with family and friends.