Common sense key to healthy holiday eating

Healthy eating during the holidays does not mean eliminating all that tastes good, say nutritionists. But it does mean following the Scripture “all things in moderation.”
   
“You shouldn’t have to deprive yourself; it’s just a matter of moderation,” said registered dietician Pat Hart, chairman of human sciences and design at Samford University. “It’s not a time to restrict what you eat.”
   
Hart said two or three bites of a cake or limited portions of sweets can be savored so they are enjoyed as much as larger portions.
   
Beth Kitchin, director of the University of Alabama in Birmingham’s EatRight Information Service, agrees. “You can pretty much eat anything you want if you watch the portions,” she said.
   
The holidays are a time when food can always be found at office parties, church socials and family gatherings, Kitchin noted.
   
“There’s so much more temptation around,” she said.
   
“Most people probably eat too much; it’s very easy to overeat during the holidays,” Kitchin added.
  
Hart said, “I think a lot of times we think we have to eat all we can.” So she suggested not attending holiday parties or dinners hungry.
   
Products such as skim milk and low fat yogurt can help decrease one’s appetite, she said, noting that drinking water or diet soft drinks at gatherings also curbs the appetite.
   
Eating slower also helps, she noted. It usually takes 15 to 20 minutes before average individuals realize they are full, she said.
   
While exercising is important year-round, Hart suggests sticking to regular routines and even increasing workouts during the holidays. “If you can exercise more, that’s going to burn off more calories.”
   
Those who don’t have an exercise regiment should start one, Kitchin said.
   
“Work hard on scheduling time to exercise,” Kitchin said. “Anything is better than nothing.”
   
Healthy eating should also be adopted as a lifestyle year-round, Hart said.
   
Individuals should look to the food pyramid in making sure they have the daily allowances of breads, meats, dairy products and fruits and vegetables, she stressed. Another holiday suggestion is to eat holiday foods that are healthy, Hart said, citing chocolate-covered fruit and raw vegetables as two examples.
   
Kitchin added that snacks like potato chips and cookies that can be eaten year-round should be avoided.