Cooking Up Good Health This Holiday Season.
As we enter the holiday season, we also enter the feasting season. Whether we’re celebrating America’s Thanksgiving or the many religious festivals and traditions that arrive in the coming months, we often find ourselves consuming more food than we should. The result? We eat too much of the wrong things…not because we want to, but, well, people keep giving it to us. So, here’s an idea: What if we all agreed that we wouldn’t constantly offer friends, family, and coworkers massive quantities of fattening food? What if, instead, we agreed to be a little more selective about what we serve?
Here are some tips that could make that work…and help us keep off those extra pounds this holiday season.
Start with fruit and veggies. Instead of building meals and snacks around protein, carbs and sweets, put fruits and vegetables on the plate first.
Use smaller plates. Studies show we tend to eat more when our plates are bigger.
Plate food for guests. Instead of putting food on “Load it up!” buffet lines, prepare your guests’ plates with reasonable portions … especially when it comes to dessert.
Use healthier fats. Cook with olive oil, canola oil and nut oils rather than meat drippings and other fats.
Serve protein appetizers. Protein curbs the appetite, so offer light protein snacks as appetizers.
Tags: healthy cooking, healthy eating, holiday health