Feature Article

Facing the Buffet Table Fearlessly:
Enjoy Your Holidays Without Depriving Yourself

Whether you're serving a large family dinner or attending a party with friends, 'tis the season to worry about what all that indulgence is doing to your weight.

Does it have to be this way? There are scientists who say it doesn't, but only if you keep a careful notebook record of every morsel you eat. Just imagine how much fun you'll have at holiday parties, balancing a plate and drink while you try to scribble, "one pig, no blanket, extra mustard."

Forget the notebook and de-stress to help keep holiday eating healthy, advises Jo-Anne Rizzotto, M.Ed., R.D., L.D.N., C.D.E., a registered and licensed dietitian at the Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston. "Take time for yourself, even for just a few minutes," she says. "Make the holidays a conscious thought." By doing a little pre-planning, "you may be able to make different decisions."

Evaluate your traditional family favorites and decide to serve just the must-haves this year. Then perform what Rizzotto calls "recipe reconstruction" to lighten the ingredients in each. "Alter the fat or sugar content a bit," she says. That reduces calories and "you can still make them taste good."

A few ideas she suggests for turning popular holiday foods healthier:

If you're worried about your guests' reactions, Rizzotto adds, "find an ally in the family, someone who can support your approach." With your sister or cousin backing you up, it may be easier to make changes.

Emphasize the good stuff

Recent research shows what we've all long known, that fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats and poultry are great for our bodies. Women who keep to those foods enjoy better health. And people who successfully maintain weight loss do so by continuing to eat low fat.

For your festive recipes, choose foods that do more than just taste good. Pecans and other nuts rich in monounsaturated fat lower bad cholesterol, while peanuts reduce gallstone disease risk in women.

"Nuts are a far better snack than fat-free pretzels. You're getting antioxidants, which are better for you than a mouthful of starch," says nutritionist Lauren Swann, M.S., R.D., co-author of the Black Family Dinner Quilt Cookbook (Tradery House, 1993). Be sure to buy unsalted nuts, she recommends, or you may have trouble controlling your snacking.

Cranberries, blueberries and lingonberries are strong antioxidants and have cancer-preventive action. Broccoli, cauliflower and other cabbage family vegetables also reduce cancer risk. Even chocolate and cocoa may benefit your cardiovascular system.

Just don't bury good foods under fats and sugar. Swann loves sweet potatoes, which are rich in vitamin A, beta-carotene and potassium. But she sees no reason to add cream, sugar and marshmallows to them, as many family holiday recipes do. "Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet," Swann says. She bakes hers, then slices and sprinkles them with salt-free lemon pepper or cinnamon.

Eating at home

When you're in charge of the menu, you can call the shots:

On the town

As a guest, you can make healthy choices and still have a great time:

Keep your perspective

Even if you slip up once or twice, it's not the end-of-the-world, or the end of your ability to make wise eating choices again. Balance low- and higher-calorie foods, set your own traditions with healthier recipes, take short walking breaks for yourself, and you'll have fun this season.

"Holidays are a good thing… They're not just about eating" Swann says. "They're about getting together with the people we love."

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