Holiday Eating Survival Guide

Choose:

• Lower calorie appetizers- Stick with vegetables or fruit
• Avoid lots of cheese, and fried foods
• Go with Smaller plates and tall skinny glasses

Know your limits:

• Eat before you go to a party or out holiday shopping.
• Make a healthy food for the party
• Have a plan for healthy eating… 5 small appetizers and 2 drinks
• 2 mixed drinks can have almost 500 calories and depending on the appetizers, it can run as high as can 230 per appetizer.
• Indulge in a holiday treat closer to bedtime, you will tend to eat less than if you had it during the day.
• Be mindful of eating- slow down pay attention
• Carry hard candy mints to change the flavor of your palate or brush your teeth to signal yourself to stop eating.

Start a new tradition:

• Instead of giving cookies try making soup mixes or salsa as gifts
• Make a non-food craft as a holiday activity
• Try walking, ice skating or sledding to enjoy the season
• Try reducing fat and sugar in your holiday baking by substituting with applesauce

Heather Pease UConn Extension EFNEP Nutrition Outreach Educator