10 tips for healthy holiday parties

[ad_1]

Are you organizing an amazing holiday party? If you want people to have a good time, but you also want to keep things on the healthier side, you can still win over your guests. Consolidate your legendary host or hostess status with these 10 safe tips.

1. Offer a recognizable guilt-free drink. Make a cocktail with a small amount of alcohol.Not only is alcohol full of empty calories, it can also reduce your guests ’control, increasing their chances of overdoing it at the buffet.

You don’t have to go with a grog or a leg – a low-calorie wine spritzer can work just as well, says Bethany Thayer, director of the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

Mix a little wine with club soda or citrus diet soda, add a little low-calorie juice (I mean cranberry) and a nice piece of fruit, like raspberries. Give it an appealing name and you’ll get a festive drink that won’t disrupt anyone’s diet.

“The holidays are a great time to use this vintage porcelain, as the plates used to be much smaller!” – Amy Jamieson-Petonic, RD

2. Use only small plates. Your guests can’t fill up with piles of food if it’s not physically possible, says dietitian Amy Jamieson-Petonic, president of Nutrition Today with Amy J.

Holding dinner? Place 8-inch boards. “The holidays are a great time to use this vintage porcelain, as the plates used to be much smaller!” Jamieson-Petonic says.

3. Skip the chips, cut the sauces. Make vegetables the star of your table landscape by cutting them into fun shapes or offering them on a spit. “Not only will the water content in the vegetables start to make guests full – all this chewing will slow them down,” says Thayer. Just don’t add sauces high in fat and calories.

4. Create a food-free zone. Serve food in only one room, and leave the rest of the house free to socialize.

If guests take a plate and move to another area, they tend to talk and forget about refilling the plate.

5. Serving protein? Go skinny. Take fish or turkey for your main course. If you opt for turkey, be sure to avoid it skin. And choose a low-fat cooking method. Fry it on the grill, Thayer says, and most of the fat just drips.

“The holidays are a great time to use this vintage porcelain, as the plates used to be much smaller!” – Amy Jamieson-Petonic, RD

6. Bring beans. Beans are full of fiber and plant proteins. Instead of cooking with meat, which increases fat and drives vegetarians away, Thayer suggests using liquid smoke that you can find at the store next to the barbecue sauce.

7. Deconstruct that pan. “Casseroles are the very definition of comfort, but they are often full of sodium, thick cream, butter and cheese,” says Jamieson-Petonic.

Instead, let the main ingredient go solo. Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, sweet peppers, butter or acorn zucchini and Brussels sprouts are equally delicious when baked or steamed. Season them with lemon juice, pepper, olive oil, balsamic vinegar or spices like curry or ginger.

8. Go green. Add a wonderful salad with spinach – which is rich in fiber, vitamin C, potassium, iron and calcium – instead of the usual old salad, says Jamieson-Petonic.

Make your own simple, low-calorie topping from olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard and lemon juice; then add toasted pecans, lighter cheeses (like feta), slices of mandarin, apples, pears and dried fruit.

“The holidays are a great time to use this vintage porcelain, as the plates used to be much smaller!” – Amy Jamieson-Petonic, RD

9. Cut down on desserts. The holiday party is simply not real without tempting sweets. So don’t skip them, Thayer says. Just offer very small portions. That way your guests can taste a little of everything.

Consider making many fruit-based treats. “Don’t underestimate the place of fruit at the dessert table,” she says. “Dishes like apples baked with a lot cinnamon it can look great and taste amazing. ”

10. Let them move. Give your guests something to do, Thayer says. It is better for circulation, digestion and calorie burning than standing or sitting. Start a charade game or a scavenger hunt. Clean the dance floor or dust off that football or pool table. If it’s warm outside, offer a bowling ball or horseshoes. Organize guests into teams and organize a competition – anything to keep people away from the sofa.

“The holidays are a great time to use this vintage porcelain, as the plates used to be much smaller!” – Amy Jamieson-Petonic, RD

[ad_2]

Source link

Leave a Comment