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Holiday Eating

American Dietetic Association Says
It's a Matter of Moderation and Balance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 16, 2000

Media contact: Bridget McManamon or Lori Ferme
800-877-1600, ext. 4769 or 4802

Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s: for most people, just the thought of these celebrated holidays spent with family and friends can add inches to the waist. But the American Dietetic Association says "Celebrate!" Any foods - even traditional holiday treats - can fit into a healthful eating plan. The key is moderation and balance.

"This is the time of year to celebrate, and food is one of the pleasures of parties, holiday festivities and other social gatherings, says ADA spokesperson Tammy Baker, a Phoenix-based registered dietitian. "Just because you’re trying to eat healthfully doesn’t mean you need to avoid celebrations."

According to ADA’s Nutrition and You: Trends 2000 survey, many Americans identified with the fear of having to give up their favorite foods as a major obstacle to healthful eating. But whether watching a football game on television, meeting friends at a party or going shopping, enjoy foods this holiday season. Here are some tips from ADA:

• Be realistic. Don’t try to lose weight during the holidays -- this may be a self-defeating goal. Instead, strive to maintain your weight by balancing party eating with other meals. "Eat small lower-calorie meals during the day so you can enjoy celebration foods without overdoing your calorie intake for the day," Baker says.

• Be active and keep moving. Walk the aisles of the mall, go ice-skating with your family, plan a party that involves fitness, like bowling, skiing or hiking.

• Take the edge off your hunger before a party. Feeling hungry can sabotage even the strongest willpower, so eat a small, low-fat snack, such as fruit or a bagel, before you head out the door. This will help you avoid rushing to the buffet table when you arrive at a party. While you’re there, take time to greet people you know - conversation is calorie-free! Get a beverage, and settle into the festivities before eating. Try sparkling water and a lime twist rather than wine, champagne or a mixed drink. Sparkling water doesn’t supply calories.

• Make just one trip to the party buffet. And be selective! "Choose only the foods you really want to eat and keep portions small. Often just a taste satisfies a craving or curiosity," Baker says. Also, move your socializing away from the buffet table; this will eliminate unconscious nibbling.

• Choose lower-calorie party foods. Raw vegetables with a small amount of dip - just enough to coat the end of the vegetable is a good choice. Try boiled shrimp or scallops with cocktail sauce or lemon. Go easy on fried appetizers and cheese cubes. To help ensure there will be healthful treats, bring a dish to the party filled with raw vegetables with a yogurt or cottage cheese dip, or bring a platter of fresh fruit.

• Enjoying a sit-down dinner party? Make your first helping small. That way, if your host or hostess expects you to take seconds, the total amount will be about the same as a normal-size portion.

These and other tips can be found in the perfect holiday gift, The American Dietetic Association’s Complete Food & Nutrition Guide ($24.95, Chronimed), which is packed with healthful eating tips and available at bookstores nationwide.

"The most important thing about holiday eating is to forget the all-or-nothing mindset," Baker says. "Depriving yourself of special holiday foods, or feeling guilty when you do enjoy them, isn’t part of a healthy eating strategy, and it’s certainly not part of the holiday spirit!"

With nearly 70,000 members, the Chicago-based American Dietetic Association is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA serves the public by promoting nutrition, health and well-being.