by Grace Brentley

Created on: July 31, 2008   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Holidays are often centered around food. There are the Thanksgiving turkeys, the Christmas eggnog, and the New Years Day football pizza party. It's enough to make you gain weight even thinking about it, but it's not impossible to make the holiday fare a little easier on your waistline.

One trick to remember is to never attend a holiday party while hungry. Always have a small, filling meal before you arrive. This will help you from overeating. If the party features a buffet, make a true effort to avoid high-fat dishes. Unfortunately, this includes most casseroles, pastries, cakes, and pies. Volunteer to bring your own tasty, low fat dish and make it your main meal. Something with a lean protein like grilled chicken will help keep you fuller longer.

It is also important to remember to eat slowly. How many times have you grabbed five or six cookies, gotten lost in a conversation and looked down to realize you ate them all? Savor each bite of food. Mingle around the parties and focus on the conversation instead of the food. Eating what you want is fine within moderation. Instead of grabbing an entire handful of cookies, eat one or two. This will more than likely satisfy your sweet tooth and the craving will pass.

If you are hosting your own holiday party, make substitutions on the sly. Most people will never know if your casserole contains low fat shredded cheese or reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup. Most cake mixes also taste great with applesauce substituted for vegetable oil. It makes the cake lighter and also gives it more moisture. Other substitutions include margarine for real butter, fat free whipped cream for the full fat version, and skim or 2% for whole milk. You can also fill your buffet with a spread of fruits and veggies.

Perhaps the easiest way to cut substantial calories is to avoid alcohol. Not only are most mixed drinks oversized, but they are loaded with empty calories. If you need a drink to get in the holiday spirit, stick with wine or make your mixed drink with a diet mixer. Remember that alcohol is also dehydrating, so be sure you drink plenty of water.

What holiday season would be complete without a harried trip to a frenzied mall? Holiday shopping often turns into a day long affair and darn if that food court pizza doesn't smell heavenly. Avoiding the fast food trap is easy. All you have to do is be prepared. Make sure you have healthy snacks to ward off hunger, such as fruits, veggies, or string cheese.

With all the food floating around, you'll want to make sure you keep up your exercise routine. Find ways to sneak in extra activity, such as walking around the neighborhood to check out Christmas lights or making an extra lap or two around the mall.

The best way to enjoy without overdoing is to control portion sizes and remember everything is okay in moderation. Try to sneak in some exercise and be realistic. You probably won't lose weight during the holidays, but with these healthy tips, you will be able to find a healthy balance. The holidays may be full of fat, sugar, and calories, but they are also full of fun!

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