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Healthy Eating for the Holidays
Published in Everybody's News, December 1997, page 6.
Whether it's Christmas, Hanukah, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, or New Year's Eve, winter holidays are always celebrated with food. Special food, abundant food -- food for giving, food for receiving. No matter how delicious, not every holiday morsel provides the best nourishment for your body. Nourish both your body and soul with these easy tips for healthy holiday eating.
Tame the Cookie Monster
Many holiday goodies -- cookies, cakes, tarts -- are saturated with refined sugar, which can dampen your holiday spirits if you are prone to the "sugar blues" -- fatigue -- a few hours after eating too much sugar. Too much refined sugar can also make children over-excitable.
Tip 1: Bake recipes that call for less-refined sugar. Try dried cane juice, fructose, molasses, fruit juice, crushed fruit, or sorghum instead. Make goodies just sweet enough, not too sweet.
Tip 2: When offered sweet goodies, eat less. Take just one or two pieces. Eating sweets with a meal can help lessen the "sugar blues."
Don't Overeat
No matter how mouth-watering, too much food overwhelms your digestion.
Tip 3: If a wide selection of food is available, take a smaller amount of each item. When you are full, stop eating.
Tip 4: Eat slowly, in a relaxed, jovial environment. Before eating, make sure everything you need is on the table.
Easy on the Fat
Some traditional holiday foods are high in fat. You can substitute lower-fat foods, or serve fewer high-fat foods.
Tip 5: Instead of frying or roasting potatoes, bake or boil them. If you make mashed potatoes, be sparing with the butter.
Tip 6: Instead of whipped cream, try honey or low-fat organic ice-cream.
Eat Real Food
Try eating foods as close to their natural state as possible. Whole foods have more nutrients and less toxicity than "junk" refined foods.
Tip 7: Instead of packaged cookies and cakes, bake from scratch. Or buy freshly-baked goods that only contain real ingredients you can pronounce.
Tip 8: If you eat fish, buy it fresh. Fresh fish has more valuable fatty acids than smoked or canned.
Go Organic
Organic foods have more nutrients and better environmental consequences than chemically-raised foods. They often taste better, too! Eating organic food is practically the only way to avoid genetically engineered foods. The DNA of genetically engineered foods has been altered, and may present health risks.
Tip 9: Ask your grocer to reserve an organic turkey for you.
Tip 10: Buy fresh organic vegetables. Serve steamed with a small dab of organic, BST-free butter.
A Healthy New Year
Ring in the new year with a healthy attitude toward your body.
Tip 11: If you host a New Year's party, offer sparkling grape juice or organic, non-alcoholic punch to guests who prefer to avoid alcohol.
Tip 12: Make a New Year's resolution to give yourself the gift of healthy food every day. Your body will reward you!
Lee Leffler, "The Newsletter Gal" |
