{Today you have the privilege of hearing from my longtime friend, Kelli Gilbert. Kelli is a Registered Dietitian and lover of all things that involve food. She currently blogs at Food from My Thoughts where she shares many delectable recipes. I hope you enjoy her healthy holiday party tips!}
Hi you guys, I’m Kelli. And I love Christmas.
But seriously, who doesn’t?
One of the best parts is going to parties, meeting new people,
catching up with old friends and family.
However, sometimes the parties can be
a trap for overeating because you’re having such a great time and aren’t that
concerned with paying attention to what you eat.
SO, I’m going to give you a few tips on how to
avoid eating more than your share when you’re at a party.
1.) Realize that you
are there for the people and fellowship, not the food.
This is a
hard concept to grasp sometimes.
Like last night, I was at a Cookie Swap.
Clearly, we are there for cookies. BUT more importantly, we were there to make
stronger connections between the women of our church and the lost friends that
they may have brought with them. Not between us and the cookies.
Even if you’re
super excited about all the delicious food at XYZ party you’re going to, remind
yourself that your family and friends are more important than that plate of
little smokies.
2.) Step away from
the food table.
That was clearly said in a loud
speaker voice. However, this is true. I
know that I am more apt to continuously eat if I am within arms reach of the
food table. So move away. Take your
plate and step away. Make the decided
effort to go away.
3.) Eat a healthy
snack (or meal) before you go.
If you’re headed to a Cookie
Swap and you know that there’s not gonna be any dinner, eat something before
you go. Having a balanced meal or snack before you go can help you make better
decisions later when you are standing around 30 plates of cookies.
Your mother
was right.
Cookies are not a good dinner substitute.
4.) Drink water.
I love water. And I always have.
It started a long time ago when I made a conscious decision to drink water
instead of sodas. The logic behind how I did it is too much info for this post.
BUT, drink water.
Before you go.
While you’re there.
After you leave.
Drinking
water before you go will help you be hydrated and prepare your body to work
best when you start feeding it food. While you’re there, drink water instead of
punch or sodas.
Save those calories for
the food. Don’t drink them.
Drink water after you leave to help clear out
the extra salt and sugar that you obtained from the party foods. I promise you
will feel better when you drink water all day instead of sodas.
5.) Bring something
healthy to the party.
If you know
that everything at the party is going to be full of sugar and calories, offer
to bring a food to the party and make it something lighter and healthier. This
will give you a good food option to choose instead of HAVING to eat all junk. I
do this for almost every single event I go to for a few different reasons.
1) I
love to cook.
2) I want to make sure there is a healthier option.
3) I have
food allergies.
Like last night for example: I volunteered to bring white
chicken chili to the cookie swap since they asked for people to bring soups.
When I got there and started quietly asking people what the ingredients in
their soup were, I ended up only being able to eat the soup I brought.
The same can go for you at parties. If you
bring something healthier, you know exactly what is in it and you know that
it’s a better option for you to eat.
You will feel better about that
decision instead of chowing down on chips and dips.
And that’s it. Easy peasy lemon squeezie.
Enjoy the holiday season in a healthier fashion! I promise
you’ll have just as much fun.
Much love,
KG, RD
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