Navigating Food Through The Holidays

Alright, let’s get into it. Let’s talk first about our connection to food. Food and nutrition are typically very personal topics, we have emotions and traditions linked to how we eat. For example, if your family typically ate dinner in front of the TV or if you sat down together at the table, that might affect how you eat now. We also can have an emotional connection to what we eat, for example, my parents always made spaghetti on Sundays and now when I eat spaghetti I feel happy and it reminds me of family time. The same is with holiday eating, but there can be even more emotion and tradition linked to it. There are always those dishes that bring back memories and ones you look forward to during the holiday. The holidays can also cause a lot of anxiety for some people who are trying to lose weight or are on a health journey.

So, how do we deal with this?!

First… I don’t want you to feel limited, too restricted, or anxious about going to family gatherings or being with friends and loved ones over the holidays. We should feel connected over the holiday season. No matter what your health goal is, a balance between eating well for your body and still eating some foods you enjoy is key to lasting health outcomes. So you can still enjoy Grandma’s mac and cheese or your Aunts pumpkin pie!

Setting up your plate

Let’s talk a bit about how we want to set up our plate at meals. You want a carbohydrate (i.e. quinoa, brown rice, butternut squash), protein (i.e. turkey, beans, fish), healthy fat (i.e. avocado, olive oil, nuts), and non-starchy vegetable (i.e. cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms).

What does this plate have to do with the holidays?

                                      

Well, if you know you need a protein (1/4 of plate), carbohydrate (1/4-1/3 of plate), healthy fat, and non-starchy vegetable (1/2 of plate) then you are making a balanced meal that will give you lasting energy by regulating your blood sugar. Typically there will be fat in dishes so you don’t have to drizzle olive oil over your plate or anything like that. I would only really focus on incorporating veggies, carbs, and protein. Avoid filling your whole plate with carbohydrates! (potatoes, mac and cheese, biscuits, rice pilaf, dessert).

Holiday eating: tips and tricks

Let’s go through a few other tips and tricks to help navigate the holiday without a ton of anxiety surrounding food. Day of the holiday, Thanksgiving for example, many people tend to skip breakfast and lunch in order to “save up” for the big meal. Avoid skipping meals, eat a breakfast and snack or lunch to prevent getting too hungry and overeating or eating fast at your Thanksgiving meal.

Below are a few other tips you can consider when you are sitting at the table and when you are eating your meal.

For more information about mindful eating check out this post: 

https://www.blissfulbellynutrition.com/mindful-eating/

 

When you have food in front of you:

• Savor your food! Focus on taste, texture, smell of the food
• Eat slowly, it takes 15-20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain you are full
• Put fork down occasionally
• Eat half of your meal then take a break/talk then finish the rest if you are still hungry
• Wait 15-20 minutes before getting seconds
• Listen to when your body says you are comfortably full
• Have a dessert if you want but notice when you feel satisfied from it
• You don’t have to finish your whole plate!

Holiday Eating:

• Ask yourself if you are eating because of boredom or emotional eating
• Bring a dish you can eat, something with non-starchy vegetables
• Give yourself permission to enjoy the holiday season and the food
• Don’t stand next to the snack table at parties

Healthy Swaps to Try:

• Instead of sugar in sweet potatoes…add cinnamon
• Instead of heavy cream in mashed potatoes…add Greek yogurt
• Instead of mashed potatoes… try mashed cauliflower or 1/2 potato 1/2 cauliflower
• Instead of green bean casserole… try roasted green beans with parmesan breadcrumbs on top
• Instead of white pasta in mac and cheese… try whole wheat pasta
• Instead of regular mac and cheese… try adding pureed butternut squash
• Instead of crisco for pie crust… try butter or coconut oil (better type of fat)

Enjoy the Holiday Season!

If you need help navigating through this time book an appointment through insurance by clicking on this link:  https://www.faynutrition.com/dietitians/savannah-cass