Stay Healthy During the Holidays with these Tips from a Georgia Southern Nutritionist

November 21, 2014

  [caption id="attachment_4012" align="alignleft" width="83"] Nutritionist Rebecca Larson[/caption] With comforting side dishes, tempting sweets and yummy leftovers, the holidays are an easy time of year to overindulge. But what if you’re trying to stay healthy this holiday season by watching your eating habits? Rebecca Larson, MS, RD, our faculty expert in nutrition, weighs in on how to keep your health goals in check this Thanksgiving and holiday season. What can I do to avoid overindulging during Thanksgiving?

• Be reasonable with portion sizes. Our eyes are often bigger than our stomachs, so take small portions the first round. If you’re still hungry, seconds are okay.
• Don’t start out hungry. Try to stick with your regular eating habits before the big meal. If we’re hungry it’s easier to overeat.
• Don’t feel obligated to try everything. Be choosy and eat your holiday favorites that you can’t enjoy all year round.

What if I do overindulge during the big meal?

• Try to follow your usual exercise routine. If this is difficult, then at least get out for some fresh air.
• Don’t forget to hydrate. Drink plenty of water and limit your calories from what you drink.
• Relax! Don’t put the pressure of obligations and expectations on yourself. Do what you need to do to stay healthy.

 What are some ingredients I can substitute in classic dishes or desserts to make them healthier? In baking recipes:

• Decrease the butter. Just decreasing the amount of butter or fat called for in a cookie or muffin recipe by 25 percent usually will not significantly change the quality or taste of the recipe.
• Substitute purees. Use applesauce, pumpkin puree or other purees made from bananas, apricots or cherries, in place of some or all the butter, or in place of the sugar.
• Mix flours. Use a mixture of whole wheat and white flours, or if you like a more earthy flavor, then use all whole wheat flour.
• Substitute nuts. While nuts are higher in kcals and fats, they do have other health benefits. Using these in place of chocolate or other candy is helpful. Or, substitute with dried fruit like cherries, cranberries or dried apricots.
• Limit added fat and sugar. Use spices, extracts and other ingredients like cinnamon, lemon, vanilla, orange, almond, nutmeg and cloves to bring out the flavor while limiting the added fat and sugar.

When cooking:

• Reduce fat and focus on flavor: Reduce the fat by adding vegetable stock or reduced fat or skim milk to help reduce the use of heavy cream or whole milk; adding herbs and spices; roasting, grilling, baking or steaming rather than deep frying.

 Fried turkey is delicious--but is it really that bad for you?

• Frying does increase the calories and fat content of the turkey somewhat, but the key is to be sure the temperature of the oil is hot enough, 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This prevents more oil from seeping in during frying. Less than 340 degrees Fahrenheit creates a greasy bird, significantly increasing calories and fat content.

 I am bringing a dish to my family’s event. What are some healthier options?

• Thanksgiving usually has plenty of heavy foods, so I like to bring something light, fresh and simple. Sliced fresh fruit like apples, oranges and pomegranate are all in season and really delicious at this time of year. They are a nice break from all the other heavy dishes.

Larson also recommends these recipes:

• Pear Salad with Walnuts and Goat Cheese
• Garden Caprese Salad
• Fresh vegetables and hummus

But the most important reminder Larson can offer is to spend time with loved ones. “I think the most important thing to remember is holidays are about relationships with people. Sometimes we can get caught up in making food the center of attention during the holidays, but we should shift our focus to spending quality time with people we care about.”