Eating healthily during the holidays

St. Luke’s Registered Dietitian, Mary Cherne-Schoenfelder, stopped by The Lift to explain how we can eat healthily during the holidays. These days are all about the food, but they’re certainly not the best ones for us.

Mary explains why this time of year can be challenging when it comes to eating well, “If your family is anything like mine you not going to change those foods. The holidays have a lot of emotions involved. There’s busy schedules. There’s stress… And all of those things can impact our eating in a big way.” Mary has several tips that can help headed into the holiday season.

Tip No. 1: Maintain routine: “We want to maintain our regular eating schedule as much as possible. It’s really tempting to skip a meal in anticipation for the big turkey dinner,” Mary tells us this prevents us from over eating and going overboard later on.

Tip No. 2: Nourish your body: “You want to fill up on things that are actually going to keep you full.” You’ll want to chose things like proteins over snack foods. “Aim for at least two food groups every time you eat.”

Tip No. 3: Monitor Portion Sizes: “The thing we want to think about with plates is the size. Portions can be a big challenge for people especially when there’s lots of food to choose from. ” Mary recommends starting with a smaller plate.

Tip No. 4: Be mindful of beverages: Water is always a good choice when it comes to eating well, but the other thing we need to be mindful of is alcohol. “Alcohol can be included in a healthy diet. The CDC recommends two drinks for men and one for women, but we can’t save the up and have them all in one day.”

Tip No. 5: Everything in moderation: “All foods can fit in a healthy diet. Not just on a holiday but everyday in the year.” This approach to eating is easier to maintain.