Eat, drink and be merry-ish! The festive season can be a challenging time if you’re trying to build better habits with food. But there’s no need to avoid all your favourite seasonal treats — you can have a healthy Christmas that doesn’t involve chocolate for breakfast every day.
Here are a few things to consider:
Portion control
Sticking to sensible amounts of food is a key part of weight management, but it can be tempting to pile your plate high over Christmas.
That’s fine for your actual Christmas dinner, but maintaining normal portion sizes for other meals will give you a valuable sense of continuity.
Treat yourself (a little)
The holiday season is traditionally a time of indulgence, from mince pies at work to the countless “trimmings” that go with Christmas dinner.
It’s totally fine to enjoy a lot of the treats on offer, but try to be mindful of how many chocolates you’re snacking on between meals — and make a point of planning some healthy, lower-calorie meals.
Trim the trimmings
Yes, it’s fine to have a bit of a blow out on Christmas Day, but the calories in some of the side dishes can really add up — especially if you’re having multiple roast dinners across the month.
You could choose boiled vegetables instead of honey-roasted ones, have a couple fewer pigs in blankets and a small helping of that cauliflower cheese.
Go easier at other mealtimes
If you’re having big meals on certain days, try to compensate by having lighter-than usual dishes for your other meals.
Going out for a big lunch? Maybe have soup or salad for your tea.
Drink responsibly
There’s nothing wrong with having a glass of sherry with your mince pie, or wine with your dinner, but try not to let your number of “drinking days” creep up too much.
As well as containing a surprising number of calories, alcoholic drinks can also lead to poor food choices and overeating.
Plan some outdoor activities
If you’re arranging a catch up with friends or family, why not suggest a country walk rather than something focused on eating and drinking?
As well as removing an opportunity for over-indulgence, you’ll be actively burning calories. And you can still take a pack of mince pies to share out.
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