Healthy Holiday Eating

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Healthy Holiday Eating

• Presented by
• Paula Ackerman, MS, RD, CDE

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Outline

• Creating a Holiday Eating Plan (to enjoy the
  holiday season without gaining weight)
• Surviving family gatherings, cocktail parties,
  and eating out
• Making the best of a buffet
• Recipe Modifications (to lower fat and calories)
• Comparing Calorie Content of Holiday Spirits
• Healthy Recipes for Appetizers, Side Dishes, and
  Main Entrees

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Creating a Plan Plan ahead!

• Have a nutritious snack prior to going to a
  party, gathering, or shopping
• Arriving on an empty stomach may lead to "impulse
  eating.
• Fresh fruit and low fat cottage cheese
• Reduced fat Triscuits and low fat cheese
• Never go to a party hungry.
• Skipping meals earlier in the day often leads to
  eating more than usual.

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Creating a Plan Plan ahead!

• Eat small, lower calorie meals during the day
  before going to a gathering or party
• Keep a food journal to track your food (calorie,
  fiber, fat) intake.
• While this may be tedious, most people become
  more aware of their food intake if they are
  writing it down.

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Creating a Plan Plan ahead!

• Think before you eat
• Before eating, ask yourself
• Am I really hungry? If so, what should I eat?
• Am I making the healthiest food choice?
• What am I giving my body? Fiber, protein,
  vitamins/minerals? Empty calories?
• Skip fried foods
• Stick to fruits and vegetables, seafood

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Creating a Plan Plan ahead!

• Fill up on fiber-rich foods (whole grain breads
  and crackers, fruits, vegetables)
• Get involved in meal planning.
• Make time for exercise, continue what you are
  doing or aim for at least 30 minutes a day
• Walking counts!

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Family Gatherings Cocktail Parties

• Do not go on an empty stomach
• Offer to bring a healthier item to share
• Do not eat while standing up
• Stand away from the table of food
• Engage in conversation, this may keep you from
  overeating
• Say No thank you to foods that you truly do not
  want
• Alcohol empty calories and less resistance to
  unhealthy food items

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Restaurants

• Call ahead before going out to restaurants
• See what specials are available that day
• See what healthy options they offer
• Decide what you will order prior to going
• Before you begin to eat a meal, look at the
  amount of food on your plate. Is it too much? If
  so, then remove any extra food.
• Eat only until you are feeling full or are
  physically satisfied, not psychologically
  satisfied.

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Recipe Modifications

• Substitute applesauce for up to ½ cup of the oil
  called for in a recipe.
• Use two egg whites or ¼ cup of Eggbeaters
  instead of one whole egg.
• Cut out ¼ of the sugar in a recipe
• Use an artificial sweetener in place of some or
  all of the sugar in a recipe.

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Recipe Modifications

• Use low fat or reduced fat ingredients (cream
  cheese, sour cream, milk, etc.) They may not
  taste the same outright, but when mixed with
  other ingredients the taste variations are well
  disguised.
• Add herbs and garlic to mashed potatoes in the
  place of butter or try boiling the potatoes in
  chicken broth.
• See Handout for additional recommendations.

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Recipe Modifications

• When reducing the fat in a recipe
• Adding spices like cinnamon or nutmeg or use one
  and a half times the amount of spice called for.
• Doubling the amount of vanilla in a recipe or use
  one and a half times as much citrus zest or
  almond extract as the recipe calls for.
• Adding ½ to 1 teaspoon of instant coffee granules
  to the recipe to intensify the rich flavor of
  chocolate desserts.

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Calorie Content of Holiday Spirits

• Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram
• Almost twice the amount of calories in as a gram
  of protein or carbohydrate
• Alcohol mixed with fat-filled or sugary mixers
  can reach 500 calories per drink
• See the handout for a list of calorie counts for
  alcoholic beverages

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Alcohol, Carbs and Calories
Alcohol (1 oz) Carbs Calories
Bourbon, Brandy, Cognac, Gin, Rum, Scotch, Tequila, Vodka, Whiskey 0 g 60-70
Vermouth (dry or sweet), Cognac Southern Comfort, Tequila 1-4.5 g 65-75
Cointreau, Baileys 5-9 g 95-105
Curacao, Grand Marnier, Midori, Schnapps, Triple Sec, Amaretto, Kahlua 10-15 g 70-100

Beer (12 oz) Carbs Calories
Non Alcoholic Beer 12-15 g
Lite Beer 2.5 8 g 90-120
Regular Beer 12-17 g 130-150
Wine (5 oz) Carbs Calories
Red or white wine 4 100-120
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Alcohol, Carbs and Calories
Alcohol Mixers (1/2 cup or 4 oz) Carbs Calories
Soda pop 12-15 g 50
Juice 12-15 g 60
Tonic water 12 g 40
Club Soda 0 g 0
Diet Pop 0 g 0
Diet Tonic 0 g 0

Specialty Drinks (10 oz) Carbs Calories
Margarita 30g 220
Daquari 44 g 280
Pina Colada 70 g 550
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Enjoy the Holidays with Friends and Family!!!

• Enjoy your meal and relax while eating. Do not
  rush. Let your brain catch up with your stomach
  you may not be as hungry as you think! Our brains
  tend to take about 20 minutes to register that we
  are full. Try telling that to our stomachs!
• Chew Chew Chew Savor every bite of your
  food. Avoid gulping it down like someones trying
  to steal if from you. There will be plenty to go
  around, and if not, theres always dessert!

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Enjoy the Holidays with Friends and Family!!!

• Do not eat on the run. Sit down and enjoy your
  food, whether it is as in-depth as a full-course
  meal or as simple and quick as a cookie or two.
  Take your time, chew and just eat. Dont drive,
  dont talk on the phone, dont have a race to see
  who can fit more cookies in his mouth. Savor
  every bite and relax.
• Take a break. Do something else once your meal is
  done and see how hungry for dessert you really
  are. Do not force in a piece of pie or cake just
  to be polite. Those calories wont be thinking
  the same way as they cascade across your hips!

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Enjoy the Holidays with Friends and Family!!!

• Keep your hands out of the cookie jar unless you
  are sitting down casually with a glass of milk
  and only a few tasty treats.
• Drink more water. It may fill you up a little
  bit, but it also flushes out germs and keeps you
  healthier. Drink as much as you like, but try to
  maintain a habit. Your body will come to expect
  the extra hydration which is also especially
  good for athletes who may have to compete in
  coming weeks.

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Which is lower in fat and calories?

• A slice of pumpkin pie or pecan pie?
• Pumpkin pie, has 190 fewer calories and 11
  grams of fat less

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Which is lower in fat and calories?

• Brown and serve roll or a crescent roll?
• Brown and serve roll has less than half as
  much fat

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Which is lower in fat and calories?

• Turkey drumstick or an equal amount of breast
  meat?
• Breast meat. The skin contains most of the fat
  on turkey.

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Which is lower in fat and calories?

• ¼ cup of turkey gravy or 1 Tbsp butter?
• Gravy. Butter contains 100 more calories.

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Healthy Recipes for Appetizers, Side Dishes, and
Main Entrees

• See Handouts

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Questions?