Don’t let the holidays derail your commitment to healthy habits.
Ah, the holidays… For many of us, they’re a time to trim the tree, spend time with family, and eat lots of food. But if you’re trying to stick to your health goals, especially if you have or are at risk of developing diabetes, the abundance of high-calorie, carbohydrate-rich dishes can make healthy eating seem impossible. When every meal feels like a celebration, it’s tempting to throw all of your healthy habits out the window, leaving you feeling guilty and sluggish the next day.
Plus, at a time of year when emotions are running high, it can be even more difficult to turn down your favorite dishes. “Eating is highly personal, and food is comforting,” says Maggie Scheerer, RN, a Humana Neighborhood Center Health Educator who is also a certified diabetes care and education specialist. “We show love with food, so that adds to the complexity of trying to make healthy choices over the holidays.” The good news is that preparing in advance for a festive feast can help you make better choices the day-of. With the right tools and strategies, you can still indulge in some of your holiday favorites while making smarter choices that won’t leave you with heartburn until the new year.
Approach appetizers with caution
Holiday parties are usually rife with carb-heavy appetizers, meaning you may wind up eating the equivalent of an entire meal’s worth of food before you even sit down for dinner. “For people with diabetes, it’s critical to understand that carbs are going to raise your blood sugar, and that’s a surefire way to ruin the party during the holidays,” Scheerer says.
That’s why you should be aware of what’s going to be on the menu before you arrive, including the hors d’oeuvres. “If you’re not hosting, ask the host what they’ll be serving,” suggests Scheerer. “If it’s appropriate, bring a healthy appetizer yourself. Fresh vegetable sticks with a yogurt dip are a crowd favorite.” Having a nutritious snack at the ready will allow you to eat socially without loading up on unnecessary carbs.
Plan your plate
“The most important way to prepare is by knowing what a healthy plate looks like,” explains Scheerer. Carbs should only take up one quarter of a nine-inch plate, and they shouldn’t be piled high — a serving is about half a cup. Another quarter of your plate should be for protein (a serving is about the size of a deck of cards), and the last half is for vegetables. “Most Americans don’t eat enough vegetables in general, but many of us also don’t know which vegetables we need to avoid,” says Scheerer. “Potatoes, corn, peas, and several types of squashes are starchy vegetables, so they go into the carb category alongside the dinner rolls and dressing.”
That half-cup carb portion on your plate is about eight tablespoons of food, so you can sample a bite from a bunch of different dishes, or go all-in on one favorite. Since we don’t expect you to carry a measuring spoon around in your pocket, here’s a good rule of, well, thumb: A tablespoon of food is about the size of the top joint of your thumb.
And those veggies taking up half your plate? They’re what Scheerer calls “free food,” which means you can eat as many of them as you want. “Not only do veggies give you fiber, vitamins and nutrients, but they won’t raise your blood sugar,” she says. “But remember that starchy vegetables shouldn’t be counted as regular vegetables, so you can’t fill half your plate with, say, six ears of corn on the cob.” You can, however, load up on as much spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, celery, or kale as your heart desires.
Be strategic
Did you know that most of us fill almost 70 percent of our plate with the first food we see on the buffet table — and eat those foods first? So if you’re hosting, do everyone a favor and put the salad and other vegetable dishes right at the front, so guests can heap their plates with healthy options. And once you begin to feel full, get as far away from the buffet table as you can. “Smell is a powerful thing,” says Scheerer. “It’s associated with memory and emotion. So sitting too close to the buffet table can be a huge trigger for some people.” Keeping your distance from where food is being served can also help you resist the temptation to go up for seconds (or thirds).
Finally, don’t forget that your allotted carbohydrate count also includes dessert — but if you strategize in advance, you’ll still be able to enjoy some of Grandma’s extra-special apple pie when it’s fresh from the oven. Scheerer points out that it’s important to be selective: “You can get a crescent roll any day of the year,” she says. “But if Grandma only makes her famous pie on Christmas and it’s your favorite thing, maybe you should save the majority of your carb portion for that.”
Leave the leftovers
Once the meal is over, you might be offered a doggy bag to take home. The key here is understanding your own habits: If you’re likely to go home and eat an entire platter of leftover stuffing in one sitting, you might want to pass. “This can be particularly hard, especially if a family member has made your favorite dish just for you,” says Scheerer. “If you’re worried about hurting someone’s feelings and you don’t feel comfortable telling them you’ve changed your diet for health reasons, just take half a cup of your favorite dish so you already know it’s a single-serving size.”
In the event you do end up eating more high-calorie food than you’d planned, Scheerer says the key is to be kind to yourself. “Family gatherings can be stressful, holidays can be stressful, and it’s common to eat when you’re stressed,” Scheerer says. “Instead of beating yourself up because your blood sugar is high, remember that every meal is a choice. Tell yourself, I chose to eat this way today, but I don’t eat this way every day, because I care about my health.” And while delicious food is certainly part of the holidays, making delicious memories can be just as important — so enjoy your time with friends and family, whether that means enjoying Grandma’s baking or taking her for a post-dinner stroll.
