Dietitian Georgia Houston on how one can have your cake and eat it, too.
1. Portion your plate
When plating up your festive breakfast, lunch or dinner, intention for half your plate to be fruit or vegetable primarily based (suppose contemporary salads), one-quarter of your plate to be protein (seafood/turkey/ham) and the remaining quarter complete grains (roasted candy potatoes).
This fashion of plating ensures you might be filling up on greens and leaving much less room for different not-so-healthy selections.
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2. Deal with family and friends
Christmas is a time for household and buddies, so as an alternative of specializing in meals or your weight, attempt to focus on these round you.
On Christmas Day, as an alternative of mindlessly consuming seconds, ask these across the desk to share what they’re most grateful for this yr – all of it will decelerate your consuming and mean you can register once you’re feeling full.
3. Plan your partying
December normally is a month of events and indulgences that usually final effectively into the brand new yr. Plan forward and choose particular occasions the place you’ll permit your self to calm down round meals.
For instance, you might select your work end-of-year occasion, Christmas Day and New 12 months’s Eve to indulge, whereas in any respect the opposite occasions, you drink and eat moderately.
4. Don’t starve your self
It could be tempting to “save up” your energy through the day if you recognize you may be indulging later that evening.
Nevertheless, when you arrive at a celebration ravenous, you’re extra more likely to eat greater than you supposed. As an alternative, concentrate on having a nutritious breakfast and lunch, and a high-protein snack akin to nuts earlier than you arrive.
Consuming like it will mean you can really feel glad and extra in management on the occasion, which can seemingly result in more healthy meals selections.
5. Drink correctly
There’s nothing fairly like a yummy cocktail on a scorching-hot summer time’s day.
Nevertheless, in the case of well being and weight, alcohol isn’t your good friend. Not solely is it excessive in energy, however the physique can also’t retailer it, that means it prioritises breaking down alcohol first earlier than different macro- vitamins akin to carbohydrates.
Attempt watering down your wine with soda for a refreshing, low-calorie spritzer, and alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Aware meal swaps
With Christmas falling in summer time, Australians are fortunate to be surrounded by scrumptious, wholesome and contemporary produce for the vacation. Attempt to incorporate a few of these good-for- you snacks and meals into your menu plan to keep away from a festive-season blowout.
Grazing board
- Vegetable sticks
- Seasonal berries/stone fruit
- Nuts/dried fruit
- Wholegrain crackers
- Lean meats akin to turkey/salmon/rooster
- Low-fat dips akin to tzatziki/hummus
- Low-fat cheese akin to feta/ricotta
Entrée
- Recent seafood akin to prawns/oysters/scallops
- Grilled fish/salmon
- Greek or backyard salad
Predominant
- Lean meats akin to turkey/rooster/fish/salmon
- Roasted or contemporary vegetable salads
- Combined grain salads/roasted candy potatoes
Dessert
- Recent fruit platter with high quality Greek yoghurt
- Mini pavlova with seasonal fruit and ricotta
- Sorbet
Georgia Houston is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, primarily based in Canberra. Discover out extra about her here.
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