Here are some other tips that may help:
- Portion control, know your serving sizes:
- 3 oz. cooked meat, poultry, fish = deck of cards.
- 1 oz. of hard cheese = 4 dice.
- 1/4 cup dried fruit or nuts = golf ball.
- 1/2 cup cooked pasta or rice = 1/2 baseball.
- Choose complex carbohydrates (nuts, whole grains, fruit or vegetables) to help balance blood sugar spikes caused by holiday stress.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Eat a meal before you do your holiday baking, and drink water while you cook.
- Use small plates, bowls, glasses and serving spoons.
- Leave a little food on your plate. (You control the food, it doesn't control you).
- Before you arrive at the holiday party, have a healthy snack at home, like a low-fat string cheese with a piece of fresh fruit,or a protein shake with 1 or 2 Tbsp of almonds.
- Avoid sampling everything. Stay in your safe food comfort zone.
- If you're hosting a meal, have all sizes of carryout containers available to send leftovers home with family and friends.
By Dale Batz, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with the Midwest Bariatric Institure in Dyer. Dale has 32 years of healthcare and nutrition management experience. He is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and an associate member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
