Boost Your Nutrition This Holiday Season
It’s the most wonderful time of year! We can show our holiday spirit and still enjoy some festive indulgence. While it may be more important than ever to bring out the tasty treats and make those favorite decadent dishes, the holidays don’t have to mean abandoning healthy habits. In fact, with just a few simple strategies, holiday foods can fit into a high-quality dietary pattern.
Celebrate Seasonal Foods. Set your table with the season’s best offerings. Winter vegetables and fruits are not only packed with nutrients, but health-promoting phytochemicals, fiber, and are also low in calories, they are festively dressed up in the colors of the season. Decorate your table with gorgeous cranberry, beet, and pomegranate reds, bright and deep greens of Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, and spinach, winter white cauliflower, turnips, and parsnips, and the bright yellows and oranges of winter squash, carrots, and oranges. Because they’re at peak flavor, they’re best when prepared simply, such as roasted Brussels sprouts with a drizzle of high-quality olive oil, lemon juice, and a decorative dash of pomegranate seeds.
Switch it Up. Healthy ingredient swaps are a smart way to boost the nutrition of your favorite dishes, and they can be so subtle nobody will taste the difference. Using a heart-healthy poly- or monounsaturated fat like olive oil in place of some or all of the butter, which is high in saturated fat, can really kick up the flavor in a dish like mashed potatoes. Add chives or other herbs and spices to those potatoes and other dishes to reduce the need for added salt.
Pare Those Portions. Sometimes adapted recipes pale in comparison to the original, which can make healthy eating feel like a sacrifice. It’s the holidays, so go ahead and prepare favorite holiday dishes according to tradition, just serve smaller portions. Using smaller serving utensils or smaller plates can make portions seem larger. Remember, we eat with our eyes, so set a decorative table with florals and candles and fill it mostly with brightly colored seasonal fruit and vegetable dishes. Those bright hues are due to health-promoting plant chemicals, including antioxidant anthocyanins. Research shows how powerful the sight of appealing food is for the brain, especially when we’re hungry.
Choose Fizz Over Buzz. Skip or limit alcoholic beverages, which are often high calorie and can sabotage your plan to eat healthy. A toast is just as celebratory with a flute of sparkling water, especially
when dressed up with a blush of cranberry or other fruit juice and a few frozen berries. Consumption of alcohol can also diminish decision-making when it comes to food choices.
Savor the Flavor. Even though we may be celebrating this year’s holidays differently, don’t forget to enjoy some good cheer and a little indulgence is okay! The holidays really do just come once a year, so have that taste of your favorite gingerbread pudding and modest portion of stuffing or sweet potato casserole. Just savor each bite, chewing slowly as the flavors bring back memories of holidays past.
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