Healthy Holiday Tips & Tricks
We are well into the craziness of the holidays which is where most of us tend to stray from our wonderful diet consisting of colorful vegetables, protein, fruit, & some starchy carbs. If you have fallen astray, here are 5 habits to start getting back into the groove of eating well & feeling great!
1. Be mindful! Eat until you are satisfied (about 80%full) & not until you are stuffed -- you’ve gone overboard if that is how you feel after each meal.
2. Use smaller plates rather than large plates and bowls. If you fill your smaller plate, psychologically you will feel like you are eating more.
3. Fill your plate with mostly vegetables & protein. Think 1-2 “fists” of vegetables, a “palm” of protein, and a “handful” of a starchy carb. (Normally, the rule is to eat starchy carbs after working out, but it’s the holidays...we all know those mashed potatoes are too good to pass up!)
4. Do not skip your workouts.Schedule a workout for at least 3x/week. Stay active in this wintery weather. Your body will thank you!
5. For the holiday parties you attend and/or host, prepare a healthy option like a salad or a breadless “stuffing” (the recipe is below). That way you have a dish that you can count on for some vegetables rather than eating all bread-based dishes, potato dishes, and sugary dishes.
Here is a delicious Paleo Butternut Squash Sausage “Stuffing” with Apples & Cranberries. I made the dish for Thanksgiving this year and am already looking forward to making it again for Christmas. I did do one swap in the recipe: ground pork sausage for lean ground turkey sausage. The swap greatly decreases the amount of fat, in turn, reducing the amount of calories in the dish.
Source: Paleo Running Mom
Here are a few of my go-to food blogs for some recipe inspiration:
Minimalist Baker (Vegetarian): https://minimalistbaker.com/
Well Plated: https://www.wellplated.com/
Sprouted Kitchen: https://www.sproutedkitchen.com/
Cookie & Kate(Vegetarian): https://cookieandkate.com/
That’s it for now. I hope you find these tips & tricks useful during the holiday season and afterwards!