Eating Well Throughout the Holiday Season

The holidays are a great time to celebrate with friends, family and co-workers, but all that celebrating can make it difficult to eat healthy. Try these tips to help keep you from overindulging this holiday season.

• Pay attention to portion sizes. Use small plates and bowls, especially at a party or buffet-style meal. Choose smaller portions of high calorie foods like dips, fried foods and desserts, and larger portions of low calorie foods like fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Limit intake of high calorie beverages. Choose to drink water instead of sweetened beverages like juice and soda. Limit intake of high fat beverages like eggnog.
• Bring a healthy dish to a party. If you are going to a pot-luck or throwing a party yourself, make a healthy dish like fruit salad or fresh vegetables.
• Make a pact with your co-workers to keep holiday treats to a minimum at the office. Chances are most people in your office want to avoid weight gain during the holidays. Decide as a group to only bring in healthy treats or not bring in treats at all.
• Plan ahead. If you know you are going to a party later in the day, eat light (but don't skip meals!) leading up to the event.
• Focus on nutrients. Pack holiday dishes full of whole grains, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. Adjust recipes to make them lower in calories.