COLLEGE STATION – The holiday season has arrived, and with it has come all that delicious, high-fat foods which can make this time of year the easiest time to overindulge. “The holiday season is the time when you should enjoy food,” she said. “You’re going to be socializing with friends and no doubt there will be food present.”
And believe it or not, some traditional holiday foods have quite a bit of nutritional value. Of course, Anding added, many of them come with some dietary trade-offs.
For example, a one-cup serving of eggnog contains one-third of the suggested daily allowance for calcium, which is good for those who worry about calcium intake. However, it also contains 342 calories, with a hefty chunk of them from fat. And that’s non-alcoholic eggnog; add another 100 calories or so if alcohol is added.
What about holiday desserts? Even there, some choices are better than others when it comes to nutrition. According to “Bowes & Church’s Food Values of Portions Commonly Used, 17th edition,” by Jean A.T. Pennington, one-eighth of a nine-inch pumpkin pie containing 316 calories and 14 grams of fat would be a better choice than the same-sized piece of apple pie, with 411 calories and 19 grams of fat, or pecan pie, with 503 calories and 27 grams of fat. Anding did note most of the fat in the pecan pie is not the type that clogs arteries.
Aside from being lower in calories and fat than the other two kinds of pies, the pumpkin pie also supplies more than 100 percent of the suggested daily amount of vitamin A, Anding said, which makes it even more of a wise choice.
“The American Dietetic Association’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide” also suggests some holiday substitutions that can help keep diets healthier during this time of year. Its leaner menu suggests substituting skinless roast turkey, wild rice pilaf, broccoli with lemon juice and whole-grain roll for the higher-calorie and fat menu of skinless roast duck breast, stuffing, broccoli with hollandaise sauce and crescent roll.
Holiday dieters can get some encouragement from “The New England Journal of Medicine,” which released “A Prospective Study of Holiday Weight Gain” in its March 23 issue. The study found that, in spite of popular belief, the average holiday weight gain is only about a pound, not the five to 10 pounds most people think it is.
But the downside to that is: The weight gained during the winter holiday season tends to stay on, especially if healthful eating habits and regular physical activity are not reestablished into the post-holiday routine.
However, Anding advised, trying to lose weight during the holiday season isn’t a good idea. “Go for weight maintenance,” she said. “Otherwise you are setting yourself up for failure.”
There are no such things as “good” foods and “bad” foods, she said. “Eat your favorite foods you like to eat during the holiday season,” but use common sense when you do. “As long as it’s done in moderation, any food can be included in a holiday feast.”
Anding offers some tips to keep that holiday dining indulgence from becoming over-indulgence:
– If your holiday plans include attending a party, snack before you go to take the edge off your appetite before you get there.
– When at a party socializing with friends, move away from the buffet table to eliminate the tendency to dip into the food while standing and talking.
– Use smaller plates; take smaller portions.
– Don’t forget to count calories from alcohol. If drinking alcoholic-containing beverages, do so in moderation and choose those made with diet or club soda instead of juice or full-calorie soda.
– If making multiple trips to the buffet table, take vegetables, fruits, low-fat rice and pasta and lean meats during the first trip, then go for smaller portions of other foods during the second.
– Keep exercise as part of the daily routine. Not only is exercise a vital part of a plan for healthy living, but it’s a great stress reliever too. And there’s no denying that the holidays are stressful.
– Most important, listen to your stomach and eat until you are no longer hungry, not until you are full.
Above all, Anding said, don’t feel guilty about enjoying some of your favorite holiday foods, especially if they are a once-a year treat and part of a family tradition. And keeping a healthy diet and getting regular physical activity is a process, she said, and if you overindulge at one meal, compensate the next. It’s the process that’s important, not what is eaten at any one meal.
And enjoy the season.
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