How to eat healthy during winter and holidays

The holidays typically mean celebrations with friends and family. And with those celebrations usually come food, drinks, and treats. While it is important to enjoy the season and treat yourself, it is also key to remember that when the holidays end, your healthy eating habits shouldn't.

Here are some tips to help you enjoy healthy meals during the holidays.

Remember there is more to the holidays than food

Christmas, in particular, offers traditional activities that don’t necessarily involve eating. You can go to a school or church pageant, for example. You can also listen to or sing carols.

When you go to a party, don’t immediately visit the buffet or bar. Take time to admire the decorations and enjoy the music and entertainment. Talk to the other guests and dance. Not only will dancing keeps you away from the food, but it’s also an excellent way to burn off calories.

Don’t go to a party on an empty stomach

A lot of people avoid eating on the day of a party to “save calories.” Unfortunately, this means that they are ravenous when they get there and end up stuffing themselves. A smarter play is to have small and heart-healthy snacks like yogurt or sliced carrots beforehand. Doing so will increase your chances of maintaining self-control and sticking to a healthy diet.

Even just having a glass of water can help keep you from overeating. Drinking a glass of water about 30 minutes before a meal will reduce your appetite.

Survey the food before eating

Discreetly check out the food tables before digging in. After seeing what’s available, decide which treats you really want to eat and eat only those. A common way to approach this healthy eating strategy is to eat only those items that are truly special, like your aunt’s homemade Christmas cookies or pumpkin pie. Similarly, stick to seasonal goodies like turkey stuffing or sweet potato casserole, as opposed to crackers or bread that you can eat anytime during the year.

Balance the treats with healthier foods like salads, vegetables, lean meats, or vegetables. If you’re invited to a party, you can always bring a heart-healthy dish like a fruit salad or cut vegetables with a low-fat dip.

Watch portion sizes

An easy way to gain weight is to pile lots of food on the plate. Big portions, not surprisingly, lead to more weight gained over the holidays. Either use a smaller plate or get smaller portions to ensure healthy eating.

One way to control portion sizes is to control the ratios of what’s on your plate. For example, a salad or non-starchy vegetables like tomatoes should make up half of the food on the plate. Meat and other protein sources should make up a quarter of the food on the plate, whole grains or starchy vegetables should make up another quarter. Fatty foods like butter should make up about half a tablespoon.

Don’t hang around the buffet table or the bar

Get what you want and walk elsewhere. You will be less likely to overindulge if you aren’t standing near the food or booze. By contrast, if you see the food, you are more likely to want it.

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Also, get a low-calorie drink if you’re at a party with lots of snacks and appetizers. You can sip on the drink when you feel hungry, and having only one free hand will limit the number of treats you can snag.

Be careful with alcohol

Alcoholic drinks can do a number on your waistline. In addition to having a lot of calories, they also weaken your inhibitions and judgment. You are less likely to say “no” to unhealthy food and more likely to overeat.

The obvious solution is not to drink at all. If you do decide to indulge, though, wait until you’ve eaten something. Drinking on an empty stomach will both increase your appetite and reduces your ability to control yourself — similarly, alternate alcoholic drinks with healthy non-alcoholic drinks like fruit-flavored seltzer.

Eat slowly

It takes the brain about 20 minutes to register when you are full. If you eat quickly, you will not notice that you are getting full, so you are more likely to overeat. In addition, eating slow lets you enjoy the food more. To make yourself eat slower, take small bites, and chew each mouthful at least five times before swallowing.

Don’t immediately head for a few seconds. Wait at least ten minutes after finishing your first helping. Drink some water and engage someone in a conversation in the meantime. After the ten minutes are up, you may find you don’t want seconds at all, or only want a small serving.

Don’t go shopping on an empty stomach

Whether you’re buying groceries or shopping at the mall, you will smell and see a lot of tempting treats. It will be much easier to resist temptation if you eat something healthy beforehand.

Manage stress

Yet another mistake people make during the holidays is trying to do too much and consequently getting stressed out. Keep an eye on your schedule. There will be some activities you can’t easily get out of, like the Thanksgiving dinner at your mother’s, while other gatherings will be less important.

Figure out what you are willing to commit to and stick to your schedule. Remember that you do have the right to decline invitations or requests for favors. Don’t let people try to make you feel guilty for saying “no.”

Also, try to stick as close to your usual routine as you can. Eat healthy meals at your usual times whenever possible to keep your blood sugar steady. Eat a small snack at your usual mealtime if you will be having a late lunch or dinner. Doing so will help keep you from overeating.

Similarly, try to stick to your usual exercise regime. Exercise both burns calories and reduces stress. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to devote your usual 40 to 60 minutes to daily exercise, try splitting it up into 10 or 15-minute chunks and take brisk walks.

Do something relaxing every day, like reading a good book, meditating, or taking a bubble bath. Try to spend about 20 minutes or more on relaxation every day.

Have realistic expectations

Don’t expect perfection, either in the holidays or yourself. Accept the facts that you will make mistakes and not always be able to stick to your normal schedule. Try to find a happy medium between your usual routine and letting the holidays totally upend your life. The idea is to try to maintain some healthy habits during the holiday season rather than abandoning them and vowing to be “perfect” after New Year’s.

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