• First and foremost, SCOOP SMALL. After all, it is a holiday, and we do want to sample foods we don’t normally see. If it looks just divine—take a small scoop.
   
• DRINK PLENTY—of water—that is. It will keep you feeling “full”; since each half-glass of wine is 100 calories, and who drinks just 4 ounces? Each 1 oz. liquor is the same 100; champagne and beer are a bit higher. Go easy on the booze. And, secondly, if you ease up on the booze, you won’t lose control over the food and those cravings!
   
• Protein, Protein, Protein - Eat a little something that contains protein (glass of milk, slice of low-fat cheese, or a hard boiled egg) before leaving for the big event. If you go starving, you will almost certainly get your “overeating” started nice and early.
   
• Get Physical - Keep up the physical activity through the holiday season…at least you will maintain your weight!
   
• Go easy on the appetizers. Skip the fried foods and high fat hors d’oeuvres. Stick with low-calorie appetizers such as crudités (raw vegetables), fresh fruit, cheese and crackers, hummus and pita chips – the list is endless!
   
• Avoid seconds and thirds. Although you may still feel hungry, wait five minutes before going for that second round. Give your brain time to send the message to the stomach that you are no longer hungry.
   
• After a meal, the perfect seating arrangement can prove to be great for holiday table-talk. But, make sure not to seat the food on the table for too long as it gives us all time to digest, and continue eating. Remove all food from the table, and enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea instead!

Traditional vs New and Improved

Okay, we don’t expect you to give up eating over the holidays, but there are ways to cut back on the calories in those traditional holiday dishes. By substituting certain ingredients, you can reduce the calorie count by a whopping 30-50% and still have all the taste, and tradition! Here are just a few examples;

The typical holiday meal clocks in at around 2,000 calories—and usually high fat, high carbohydrate ones at that. With a few substitutions, you can make the holidays a little more healthful, without guests even noticing. It’s not as tough as you think.


A Little More About Ronni Litz Julien
As a nutritionist, registered dietitian, author and parent, I have dedicated my professional life to teaching healthy eating habits to all ages. For over 20 years, I have been educating children and adults on how to develop lifelong behavioral changes, creating nutrition lifestyles that are realistic, and simple to manage. As an expert on family nutrition, I was one of the nutrition counselors to clients of the South Beach Diet and have authored two books which address the lack of healthy eating habits in the United States today, “The Trans Fat Free Kitchen,” and “What Should I Feed My Kids?” I also serve as a primary consultant to local and national media on the topic of nutrition and healthy eating, and am the South Florida spokesperson for The American Heart Association’s Campaign on Childhood Obesity.

If you have any questions relating to your or your child’s health or nutrition, please feel free to call me on 786.326.3262. I also run workshops and seminars and am available for advice at ronnij@bellsouth.net.