With Summer in full swing and Christmas just around the corner, social calendars are overflowing with events. This time of year can be a challenge as it usually means 4-6 weeks of constant eating and drinking.

6 simple tips to help you survive the festivities

1. Learn to listen to your body and stop eating when you are 80% full. That way you can learn to enjoy all delicious foods.

2. Increase your physical activity over the festive season. Get involved in the backyard game of cricket with the family or take the dog for an extra walk. Try to be active every day. Sign up for an exercise boot camp and commit to an exercise routine.

3. Don’t try to lose weight over the festive season. Instead, your goal should be to maintain a healthy weight.

4. If you are the party host, have healthy options available. Or if you take a plate, make it a healthy option, a delicious array of summer fruits for example.

5. If you are in charge of baking the festive goods reduce the fat and a sugar content of recipes.

• Fruit pies – Use half the amount of sugar the recipe calls for.In cookies and crusts, use half wholemeal pastry flour and half white flour. Wholemeal has more filling fibre in every cup and guests probably won’t notice the difference if you swap the white flour with wholemeal flour.
• Cookies and crusts – Use half wholemeal pastry flour and half white flour. Wholemeal has more filling fibre in every cup and guests probably won’t notice the difference if you swap the white flour with wholemeal flour.
• Cheesecake – Substitute low-fat ricotta cheese for cream cheese. You’ll double the amount of hunger-fighting protein and cut the fat by close to 60 grams for each cup you use.
• Brownies and fruit breads – Use pureed pumpkin instead of oil. For every half-cup of oil you take out, you’ll save more than 900 calories and 100 grams of fat using pumpkin puree instead. Plus, pumpkin puree keeps baked goods moist.

6. Downsize your dishware. People will eat what’s on their plate, even if it means overeating. If you regularly use large dinner plates, downsize to smaller ones.

 

It is extremely important not to be hard on yourself throughout the party season. Be kind to your body and mind and remember this is a time for being with friends and family and nothing says celebration more than sharing a beautiful nourishing meal with your loved ones. 

 

Head over to Taste + Wellbeing for Survival Guide for the Party Season – Part 2

 

Article by Karen Hill 

 

Karen is a university qualified nutritionist, completing a PhD in sports nutrition and exercise metabolism at Victoria University here in Melbourne. She is a mountain biker, self-confessed food nerd and promoter of simple healthy living.

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