Healthy Holiday Eating

Welcome to Healthy Ideas Place!  November is now here and with it come six weeks of food-laden celebrations surrounding Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Thanksgiving dinner alone can pack in 2000-3000 calories.  That’s more than most people need in a day, let alone one meal.  But one meal generally isn’t the problem when it comes to healthy eating; it’s the multiple high calorie, high fat meals and snacks that most people consume during the holiday season that gets us off track and puts on the pounds.

The average weight gain is around 1-2 pounds during the holiday season.  That doesn’t sound so bad.  But take into account that the weight usually stays on.  Added up over a period of 10 years and you’re looking at a gain of 10-20 pounds – not so good.  So what can you do to eat healthy during the holiday season and prevent that weight gain?  During November I will be posting simple strategies you can take to help you eat healthier during the holiday season.  Here is today’s tip:

Keep trigger foods out of sight

We all have some favorite foods that aren’t so healthy for us – especially this time of year.  Maybe it’s chocolate candies, fudge, Christmas cookies, or snack mix.  Whatever it is, having them within sight and within arm’s reach just feeds the temptation to eat them. If you’re like me and you work at home you’re surrounded by it all day.  The best way to overcome the temptation to eat them is to not have them around.  Makes sense – they’re not there so you can’t eat them.  But most of us do have some around, even if it’s just a gift from a friend.  In that case, put them away where you can’t see them easily or reach them easily.  Deep in the freezer works well, or on the top shelf of a cupboard. Remember, keeping them out of sight means you’re less likely to eat them.  So go ahead and plan now where you’ll keep those trigger foods when they do make their way into your kitchen.  Tip #2 will be coming soon so keep checking back!