It's the time of year when feasting and celebrating is embarking upon us. Given the hellacouness of 2020, many people are more than ready to break out the eggnog and live it up for the remaining 45 days of the year. Enticing as all of this sounds, it is important to keep in check all of the hard work that has been put into fitness goals and nutrition over the past 10 months. Personally, 2020 has been a year of significant strides in both my physical performance and nutrition. I feel better than I did last year at this time! My lifts are stronger, my endurance improved and I’m not about ready to throw all that hard work away for the sake of celebrating; it’s a triple threat season for me too because my birthday is right after Thanksgiving! How does one play the nutrition offense when there are so many delicious goodies laying around? Here are three of my personal strategies to keep on track with nutrition during the holidays.
One: Find Healthy Alternatives to Your Favorite Dishes
For the past three years I have spent Thanksgiving with my sister and her husband; we always make a traditional meal with not so traditional ingredients. For example, pumpkin pie is a paleo version made with coconut milk and almond flour crust. Green bean casserole uses fresh green beans and mushrooms with either coconut milk (for a Paleo version) or with a homemade bechamel sauce. Instead of corn we roast brussel sprouts and go sans biscuits or bread at the table. Cranberry sauce is homemade and uses honey and oranges instead of sugar. Don’t get me wrong, this meal is still incredibly indulgent, but we make it with more nutrient dense ingredients.
Two: Avoid Buying Pre-Made Items
Half of the fun of a holiday meal is making it! Spending time in together the kitchen builds memories for years to come. It also helps in making better food choices in the process. Purchasing the ingredients to make the meal yourself will give a better appreciation for the process that goes into such a feast. Plus you have the option to buy organic varieties and ingredients without preservatives. Overall the meal will be nutrient dense and delicious because you are the chef! With the recipes in hand you and your family will be able make the meal together and reminice about the feasts of yesteryear.
Three: Eat Normal Size Portions
It is very easy at meals such as Thanksgiving to overindulge in food and become very uncomfortable with such a full belly. An easy way to avoid over consumption is to adhere to normal portion guidelines. Keep your plate filled with two portions of veggies, one portion of protein, and one portion of carbohydrate and keep added fat to a minimum. In other words, if you look down at your plate and it’s 90% mashed potatoes, you should reconsider adjusting your portions and add some green stuff. Need a little memory job for portion sizes? Go to my blog on Portion Perfection for a simple visual way to organize your plate!
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