# Presentation: 556899

## HEALTHY HOLIDAY EATING

- Claire Bell, RD
- James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital

**Notes:**
The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays have traditionally been occasions marked by holiday feasts, and the accompanying overeating.  People often report having gained weight over the holidays.  And of course other holidays such as the Fourth of July aren’t exempt either from the holiday feast tradition.

## Table of Contents

-  Holiday Tips
-  Physical Activity
-  Menu/Recipe Comparison
-  Questions

**Notes:**
Here are some of the things we will cover today.  We will start with a number of tips for healthy eating during the holidays on the next several slides.

## Be Realistic

- Trying to lose weight during the holidays may be a self–defeating goal.
-  Instead strive to maintain your weight.

## Size Guide 

- 3oz meat, poultry, fish  =  	Deck of playing 			    cards
- 1 cup of yogurt       	=   Baseball
- 1 cup of stuffing       	=   Computer mouse
- 1 medium orange/apple	=   Round ornament
- 1 standard bagel	=   Hockey puck
- 2 Tbsp dressing or dip  	=   Golf ball
- 1 oz cheese	= 	Thumb

## Balance Party Eating with Other Meals

- Plan ahead!
- Eat lower fat, lower calorie meals during the day to save up for “splurges” at social events.
- Avoid skipping meals

## Take the Edge off your Hunger Before a Party

- Curb your appetite to prevent overdoing it. Feeling too hungry can sabotage even the strongest willpower.
- Snacks, meal timing

## Focus on Socializing

- Greet people you know- conversation is calorie free!
- Get a beverage, and settle into the festivities before eating.
- You may eat less.

## Consider Limiting Alcohol Consumption...

- Alcohol is high calorie
- Stimulates appetite
- Alternate alcohol/high calorie punches with calorie free drinks

## The Buffet

- Move socializing away from the buffet table
- Be selective.  Choose special foods, keep portions small.  Often just a taste satisfies a craving or curiosity.

## Opt for Lower Calorie Party Foods

- Enjoy raw vegetables with a small bit of dip
- Try boiled shrimp or scallops with cocktail sauce or lemon
- Go easy on fried appetizers and cheese cubes

## Sit Down Dinner...

- Make your first helping small, especially if the host expects you to take seconds.  Two small helpings may be about the same size as your normal-size portions.

## Forget the All or Nothing Mind-Set

- Depriving yourself of special holiday foods, or feeling guilty when enjoying them, is not a healthful eating strategy.
- Deprivation and guilt certainly are not part of the holiday spirit.

**Notes:**
Deprivation is not OK.  Instead, moderation is the key.

## If you are Bringing a Dish or Entertaining, Make it Healthy

- This way you will know you have more control of what you eat.
- Your guests probably won’t detect the difference.

## Holiday Menu

-   Original Menu                        Leaner Menu
- 3.5 oz roasted turkey w/skin       3.5 oz skinless, roasted 		     turkey
- 1⁄2 cup stuffing	1⁄2 cup wild rice pilaf
- 1⁄2 cup broccoli w/                 	1⁄2 cup broccoli w/ lemon hollandaise sauce	    juice
- 1⁄2 cup cranberry relish                 1⁄4 cup cranberry relish
- 1 medium crescent roll                 1 whole grain roll
- 1 slice pecan pie                          1 slice pumpkin pie

**Total kcals: 1,140**
**Total fat: 50 g**

**Total kcals: 735**
**Total fat: 20 g**

**Notes:**
Here is an example of ways to use substitutions for traditional holiday dishes that will, as you can see here at the bottom, make the meal much healthier and less fattening.

## Burn It Up!

- After a holiday meal take a walk.  Walking burns calories and helps to deal with holiday stress.

**Notes:**
Taking a walk after a holiday meal is great for getting started with burning off the calories.  Besides, it feels good and can be a great way to have some quality socialization time with other like-minded folks.

## PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

*Calories burned per hour, by body wt*
_**Activity**_**                        **_**120 lbs**_**            ****	**_**170 lbs**_
- Aerobic dance              	330                 	460
- Basketball                    	190                 	270
- Bicycling(<10 mph)     	220                 	310
- Bowling                       	165                 	230
- Jogging  	385                 	540
- Walking (brisk)           	220                 	310

**Notes:**
You won’t burn off all the calories you just ate by taking a walk, but walking does burn calories nonetheless.

## QUESTIONS