[HEALTH TIPS] Tips, tricks for healthy eating during holiday without gaining weight

The holidays are full of family, friends, delicious food, and wonderful memories. They are, however, not always compatible with a healthy lifestyle. When the holiday season rolls around, it’s easy to get a little lax on the healthy eating and exercise that we typically maintain.

Tips for eating healthily and staying fit during the holidays

 

Find healthy substitutes for your favourite dishes.

Healthy eating does not require you to give up your holiday favourites; simply make a few changes.
Trying to cook with less butter and oil, yoghurt instead of mayonnaise, and baking the turkey instead of deep frying it are all options. With these simple tricks, you can keep all of your favourite foods on your plate while avoiding the extra calories.

It’s all about moderation

During the holiday season, moderation will be your saving grace. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying an indulgent, festive dinner — just make sure the meals that follow are healthy and nutrient-dense. Have a light lunch, such as a salad, and opt for a healthy breakfast the following morning.

Choose homemade foods over processed foods.

Homemade everything can be difficult when you have a lot going on, but it can also ensure that you’re eating much healthier. Canned, processed, and premade foods are high in salt and sugar, which you can avoid by making your own dishes. Make your own food to cut your sodium intake. Making your own food will also make you much more aware of what you’re eating and when you’re eating it, giving you more control and awareness in the long run.

Add more vegetables

It’s easy to go all-out with our favorite recipes, but sometimes eating better is as simple as keeping more healthy choices on hand. Increase the number of vegetable dishes on the dinner table, finding small twists to dress them up without making them unhealthy. When in doubt, serve vegetables first — like a salad before dinner or a vegetable-based appetizer earlier in the afternoon.

Include fibre and protein.
Making sure your meals and snacks contain a good source of both fibre and protein to keep you feeling satisfied is one of the best ways to enjoy the goodies of the holiday season without overdoing it. This way, you’ll be less likely to overeat, and it’ll be easier to keep portions in check when you go out to enjoy less-than-healthy holiday treats.

Slow down during meals

While the decadent food might make us eager to eat, a key tip to staying healthy over the holidays is to slow down during mealtime. Multiple studies have shown that eating slowly can give our stomachs enough time to send the hormonal signal to our brain telling us that we’re full, which will stop us from accidentally overeating. This can help us maintain better portion control as a result.

Remember portion control

Speaking of portion control — portion control will be your best friend throughout the holiday season. Eat small snacks during the day, and have three medium meals instead of three extra-large ones. This will improve your digestion and reduce the amount you’re eating, both during meal times and overall. If you’re worried about portion control, you can use smaller plates or reduce the number of dishes you serve at each meal.

Take a walk after dinner

Walking after a meal can give you several distinct benefits. First, you can get exercise at a time when you might not otherwise be exercising as frequently. It can also provide some quiet alone time to de-stress and aid your digestion all at once. All of these factors combined are good for your physical and mental health, and can contribute to weight loss.

Don’t forgo exercise

There’s a million other things to do, and if you’re away from your home gym, working out can seem even more difficult. Despite that, it’s important to maintain regular exercise for both your mental and physical health. Exercise is good for your body and can also relieve the stress that’s so commonplace during the holiday season.