Diet Designs' Holiday Party Eating Guidelines

Carrie Wiatt's Diet Designs

Holiday Party Eating Guidelines

Fighting fat between the weeks of Thanksgiving and New Years Eve can be very difficult.  Most people gain between 7 To 10 pounds during the Holiday Season.  The following guidelines will help you stay on course through the Holidays.

*NEVER GO HUNGRY TO PARTY.  Eat a salad, apple, or a yogurt first. Eat only the foods you like best at each party and pass on the rest.

*BEFORE YOU WALK IN THE DOOR OF A PARTY, HAVE A PLAN. Decide how many appetizers and drinks you will allow yourself, and stick to your plan.

*THINK OF “PARTY EATING” LIKE A BANKING TRANSACTION.  If you are overdrawn one night, pay back the next day by cutting your daily caloric allowance.  This doesn’t mean skipping meals entirely, just cut back your calories.

*IF YOU ARE PREPARING A HOLIDAY MEAL, HAVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY DO THE  TASTING FOR YOU.  All that tasting adds up.

*IF HAVING GUESTS OVER, PREPARE FOOD WITH LESS SUGAR AND FAT.  Sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes do not need butter or sugar.  Use corn bread stuffing instead of white bread stuffing.  Use Fat-Free chicken broth for stuffing and basting the turkey.  Utilize Low-Fat recipes available through Diet Designs.

       

*STOCK YOUR REFRIGERATOR WITH CUT UP FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AND HAVE YOUR DESIGNATED SNACKS AVAILABLE.

*TAKE TINY PORTIONS OF EVERYTHING.  Avoid gravies and fat filled dressings.  Have about 4 oz of Turkey (3 to 4 slices).  Use a tablespoon to gauge side dish portions.  Have fresh fruit and a 1” slice of your favorite pie.

  

*HAVE WINE OR BRANDY, instead of after dinner liqueurs, mixed drinks, or seasonal eggnog (unless it is non-fat). (1 glass of wine can count as 1 of your snacks.)

*IF SOMEONE GIVES YOU FATTENING FOODS AS A GIFT, GIVE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE, RIGHT AWAY.

Happy Holidays!

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Healthy Kids & Healthy Lunches

In January 2011, the USDA proposed a few healthy requirements to be implemented in school lunches.  This month, Congress denied all legislation, due to “financial concerns” and “lack of data on potential health benefits.”  In their spending bill for the National School Lunch Program, Congress delayed or stopped all major suggestions, including the following:

• Allow vegetables such as corn, peas, and potatoes only twice per week  in an effort to reduce French fry consumption and increase vegetable variety;
• Require a minimum of green and orange vegetables to be served each week;
• Change the amount of tomato paste that counts as a vegetable serving. (Currently, two tablespoons of tomato paste (normally served on pizza) can count as a vegetable serving.  The USDA wanted the total to be set at half-cup.);
• Limit sodium;
• Make all grains and breads whole grain, instead of refined grains;
• Set a maximum calorie allowance for meals; and
• Install more targets for low-fat dairy content.

  Today, 1/3 of American children are overweight or obese.  These USDA proposals aimed to reshape our younger generation’s view of a healthy diet.  Studies show that students receive 40% of their calories and up to half of their daily sodium allowance through school lunches.   How can parents keep their children healthy if students are given free reign at school?  Recent articles claim that eating healthy is more expensive than a diet full of processed, high-fat, sugary foods.  If this is true and parents can’t provide nutritious meals at home, wouldn’t they want a guaranteed nutritious lunch for their kids?

On the other hand, many schools and politicians claim the government doesn’t have the right to restrict what school lunches serve.  Some think that Congress would rather follow the recommendations of frozen pizza makers, food manufacturers, and potato growers instead of nutrition child advocates and experts.  

        Can’t there be a middle ground of schools providing better, nutritious meals while allowing fun, healthier kid-friendly options?  Hopefully in the not-so-distant future, our government will have the financial means and consistent evidence to put the USDA’s proposals into action.  Excellent eating habits begin in our school-age years, through examples set at home and in schools.