Healthy Holiday Eating: Smart Strategies

Rethink the Drink: Drinking water before eating fills us and keeps us healthily hydrated. Plus, when we don’t drink enough water, our bodies may receive hunger signals when we are actually thirsty. Another strategy is Take Time for Tea. Pre-dessert tea gives our brains time to register fullness. Seasonal teas (a great host gift) enable calorie-free sharing in holiday tastes and aromas like apple cider and pumpkin.

Switch to Healthier Options: Veggies win over caloric sides (and reduce prep time). Veggie-stuffed turkey, basted with stock, is moist and flavorful. Serve platters of raw peppers, cucumbers, and carrots. Microwave steamer bags of green beans or zucchini. Foil-roasted, spice-sprinkled, with lemon and olive oil asparagus is delicious.

Smart Sweet Selection: Studies show sugar is an even bigger trigger than fatty foods. Still, we can savor small portions of a favorite sweet. Colorful dessert plates of berries and 70%+ dark chocolate squares are elegant, easy and healthy. Berries, 70%+ dark chocolate and your dessert tea supply health-promoting antioxidants, another WIN-WIN strategy.