Your Kitchen Dietitian - Nutrition Blog

"Twas the Season of Christmas"

Twas the season of Christmas, and all through the yard

Not a vegetable was growing, not even Swiss chard

The parties were booked, weekends for feasting,

In hopes that my favorite foods would be there for eating

The chocolates were snug in their variety box,

I would take a bite of each, sly as a fox

With sweet smells from the kitchen, I flew like a flash

To witness selections for the great Christmas bash

Mamma in her apron, and I eager to taste,

All the Christmas baking, none would I waste

Christmas cake, candy canes, and cookies abound

Caramel apples, butter tarts, and even pumpkin pie can be found

With the holiday season upon us and more frequent feasting, many of us may be familiar with a little extra winter weight. The cooler winter weather may also restrict our usual outdoor activities, making it difficult to keep our weight in check. But do not fret, avoiding the excess weight doesn’t mean avoiding all your seasonal favorites. Use this guide to navigate the seasonal temptations.

Top ten ways to pinch the seasonal calories:

Keep chocolate out of the house and do your friends and family a favor by giving them something other than chocolate as a gift (give a healthy cookbook instead).
Minimize the variety of baked goods. Chances are you’ll want to try everything, so serve only one treat instead of a selection.
Avoid the calorie-laden eggnog! Alternatively, try mixing light eggnog or soy eggnog with skim or 1% milk. Soy eggnog is actually quite tasty and lower in fat too.
Try to have no more than one alcoholic beverage a day, especially when a big meal is part of your evening. Have sparkling water with lime or mixed with sugar-free cranberry juice instead of alcohol. Calories from alcohol will add up.
Keep your appetizers low calorie and filling. Fill up platters with cut up vegetables and dip into low fat yogurt-based vegetable dips, tzatziki, or hummus. Smoked salmon with crackers or sliced cucumbers is tasty too. Keep high calorie nuts, olives, and dried fruits hidden away in the cupboards!
During holiday meals, fill your plate once and only once. If you feel you need more, fill up on green salad served with dressing on the side. You can enjoy leftovers another day.
Mix mashed potatoes with cauliflower to cut down carbohydrates and mix with yogurt and low fat milk (instead of butter and whole milk) to cut down on fat. Or, cut out the mashed potatoes if you also have stuffing and yams.
Make gravy with a low sodium seasoning mix. You can try Knorr low sodium brown gravy mix, or use President’s choice Blue Menu Beef Broth in your gravy recipe.
Our eyes are content when the plate is full, so use a smaller plate.
After a bigger meal, go for a walk in the crisp winter air to burn off extra calories.

I had put some thought into choosing food well,

To get some exercise and evade the overeating spell

But just then on the lawn arose such a clatter,

It sounded like an aerobics class with hoofed feet going pitter-patter

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a svelte Santa Claus and eight healthy looking reindeer

A merry old man, agile and limber, he whistled and shouted

With messages of good health and wellness he spouted:

“Savor your food and consume in moderation

Slow down when eating, and enjoy the celebration

Share the joy with your family and friends

And avoid the need for another useless cleanse”

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!