Healthy Holiday Eating
Throughout late fall and early winter, there are so many delicious family meals we indulge in! We all have that favorite holiday dish that makes the holiday. It can be challenging to find ways to eat heart-healthy while enjoying that favorite seasonal dish. This month as we share ideas for enjoying the holidays while maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Important Education Takeaways
Keep your nutritional goals on track. Just because it’s the holidays, doesn’t mean you need to give up on your nutrition and health goals. Practice balance and moderation while sticking to a solid foundation of healthy foods and beverages.
Remember the healthy plate method for proper meal balance and portion control. This means fill ½ of your plate as veggies and fruit, ¼ as whole grains or starchy veggies. ¼ as lean protein. Learn more about the Healthy Plate in our heart health video library.
Allow yourself to enjoy a bit of your favorite sweets this time of year, while remembering to be sweet savvy. Enjoy a small portion of your favorite sweet treat, being sure to savor each bite. Use honey, maple syrup, molasses, applesauce, or fruit puree in your baked goods.
Swap in heart healthy unsaturated fats for less healthy saturated fats. This can look like choosing leaner cuts of meat or enjoy fish or beans for your protein food. Snack on nuts and seeds instead of cold cuts and cheeses. Use olive oil instead of butter, or broth instead of cream in your cooking. Modify your recipes to include healthier fat alternatives, reduced fat options, or simply use less of the high-fat components.
Watch the salt. Salt is often added in high amounts to processed meats, cheeses, gravies, sauces, and snack foods. Reading food labels and seeking out nutrition information can help you make informed decisions. You can also reduce salt by limiting restaurant meals and striving to do most of your own cooking from scratch. Use it as an opportunity to cut back on the salt used in recipes; use herbs and spices for added flavor.
Bulk up on fiber. Make sure to include a good source of fiber at each of your meals and snacks to keep you feeling full and satisfied throughout this holiday season. Opt for barley, farro, or quinoa in your soups, casseroles, and other side dishes. Use half whole wheat flour in your baked goods. Include a serving of fruit or vegetable at every meal and snack. Remember half of your meal plate should be coming from colorful produce.
Remember to drink responsibly. Stay hydrated by drinking 6-8 cups of water each day. Limit added sugars and fats in your coffees, teas, and cocktails. Limit alcoholic beverages to 1-2 drinks per day.
Eat mindfully this holiday season. All foods can be a part of a healthy eating plan. Enjoy your favorite foods without guilt by practicing some of these mindful eating techniques.
Listen to your body and follow your hunger and fullness cues. Eat when you start to feel hungry but not overly starving. This will help you make healthier food choices and avoid over-eating. Stop eating when you feel satisfied but not yet full. Practice checking in with your body frequently throughout mealtimes to better recognize hunger/fullness levels. Avoid the pressure to “clean your plate.”
Eat with your senses. Enjoy the food smells coming from the kitchen while you cook. Use visually appealing dishware or incorporate varied colors into your meals. Listen to some calming music while you eat. Chew slowly and note the different textures of the foods in your mouth. Savor each bite and enjoy all the wonderful flavors that your foods have to offer.
Be present and slow down. Remove distractions such as cell phones, computers, or TV during mealtimes. Avoid multitasking and instead focus just on the task of eating during mealtimes. Don’t rush the meal experience. Allow yourself adequate time to sit, relax, eat slowly, and chew thoroughly.
Increase awareness when you slip into mindless or emotional eating. Identify when you are eating out of stress, boredom, or temptation and find a healthier alternative to replace that behavior.
Practice deep breathing, meditation, or seek out a therapist if you are feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed.
Go for a walk instead of snacking after dinner.
Stand out of the kitchen or away from the food table to avoid mindlessly grazing while at holiday gatherings.
Try to focus on balanced meals and snacks to keep you satisfied throughout the day.
Carve out some “me time.” Focus on the parts of the season that bring you joy and try to avoid getting caught up in the stress of it all. Do your best to prioritize your own mental and physical healthy this month by trying some of the below ideas.
Enjoy cooking or baking some of your favorite holiday meals or treats. Invite family or close friends over to enjoy a meal. Deliver some festive sweet treats to your neighbors or coworkers.
Be realistic and set boundaries. Sometimes that means declining an invite or two.
Prioritize moving your body each day. Go for an evening stroll while admiring the neighborhood lights. Get outside to do some seasonal yard work. Practice walking at a brisk pace when doing your holiday shopping. Start your day with some invigorating yoga exercises.
Whatever activity it is that brings you joy, schedule it into your calendar so you are sure not to skip it.
Recipes
Recipe of the month: Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
As always, this recipe is the showcase of our live taught, virtual cooking class. Our chef and registered dietitian bring the recipe to life as they walk you through food prep, swaps to meet dietary or taste preferences, plus tips and tools to support you being your own healthy chef at home.
Bonus recipe: Whipped Herb and Cheese Dip with Veggies
From Jamie’s kitchen to yours, our monthly bonus recipes are published on our website and social media the 4th Wednesday of each month. We invite you to browse our recipe collection and come back often to find more flavorful and heart-healthy recipes.
We invite you to join us for the live taught, virtual nutrition classes each month to gather more information on our nutrition topics. This is also an opportunity to ask topic-related questions of our experts as well as connect socially with attendees for idea sharing. As a registered participant for our In the Kitchen program, you receive a few reminders ahead of each scheduled monthly classes, but here’s an easy to remember schedule: Nutrition Education (30-minutes, 2nd Wednesday, 12pm), Cooking Class (up to 60-minutes, 3rd Monday, 12pm).
Contributing author: Jamie Libera, RD, LD, CCTD, registered dietitian, Providence.