“It can be more difficult to stick to a healthy diet over Christmas” says Lola Biggs, registered Dietician at vegan health supplement brand Together Health. “Of course, we all want to enjoy ourselves and are going to over-indulge a bit, but it’s important not to let all your healthy eating habits go out the window”
Lola's top 15 tips on how to eat healthy during the festive season.
- Never go to a party hungry. Eat a small healthy, high protein snack before you leave like rice cakes with peanut butter or veggies with hummus, as you’ll be less likely to overeat.
- Forget about skipping meals and saving the calories for later – it usually leads to overeating.
- Just visit the buffet table once, don’t go back for seconds!
- Eat from smaller plates to reduce the amount you eat, or just use a napkin as you can only eat what you can carry in it.
- Only take one of something that you really want to eat and when it comes to portion control, take small helpings.
- Eat mindfully and listen to your stomach. Digestion starts in the mouth, so chew, taste and take your time to savour what you are eating.
- Stand away from the food – people who stand closer to the buffet table are more likely to graze. If it’s there, you will eat it. If it’s not, you wont.
- Fill most of your plate with nutrient dense foods. Half of your plate should be veggies, then a small handful size should be protein and another small handful size should be complex carbs.
- Stick to the rainbow foods – so that’s vegetable sticks and crudities like carrots, cucumber, peppers and go for brightly coloured salads containing crunchy cherry tomato, avocado, beetroot, and sushi.
- Limit beige foods so that pies, spring rolls, crisps, sausage rolls – anything deep fried or pasty based basically and creamy dips. Dips can be full of hidden calories so try drizzling honey, olive oil or balsamic over your salads instead.
- Avoid the salty snacks like peanuts, crisps, pizza as these increase thirst and can result in you consuming more alcohol.
- Stay hydrated. With all that booze flowing, we often forget to drink enough water. And go clean in-between – just alternate your glass of fizz with a glass of water and limit the sugary mixers to low cal alternatives.
- Eat smart. Instead of choosing meat on a menu, go for a lighter, healthier option like citrus roasted salmon. Salmon is loaded with nutrients and is rich in omega-3 fatty acids which have been shown to reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure. When it comes to desert, go for a dark chocolate pud. The higher the percent of cacao, the less sugar. Dark chocolate contains more antioxidants, and you’ll need less of the chocolate because it’s so intense. When it comes to the cheese board, opt for lighter choices like feta, soft goat, or reduced fat cheddar.
- Keep healthy daily by boosting your immune system. Eating a handful of nuts and seeds every day is a great way to fight off bugs as they contain immune boosting minerals such as selenium and zinc.
- Be realistic. If you do over do it, it happens. Just lose the guilt and get back on track the next day with your healthier eating habits.
“Think about boosting your gut health during this busy season. Festive foods and overindulging can lead to tummy and digestive problems, bloating, discomfort after eating and constipation. Your gut is the epicentre for trillions of mutually beneficial bacteria. To keep them fit and well, I’d suggest taking a supplement support like the Together Health Multibiotic Microbiome Support with fermented foods. A unique multibiotic capsule to balance the trillions of friendly gut bacteria and a great easy way to support and boost overall health and digestion, they contain over 45 farm-grown, pesticide free, fermented fruits and vegetables which are then fermented in a symbiotic co-culture of 11 strains of live bacteria”
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