Sensible Eating During the Holidays

          The holidays are a time of celebration and get-togethers with family and friends.  Extra portions of food and sharing a meal with loved ones are a big part of the tradition for almost everyone and for many of us it starts with Thanksgiving and continues through New Year’s Day.  Most of us rationalize that if we’ve ‘been good’ in following our diets the rest of the time, we can let up a little bit around the holidays, since they only come around once a year. 

          That may or may not be true, depending on your individual situation, but for those who feel that they may have overindulged during the holidays, the American Diabetes Association has introduced a tool that you can implement on your own at home.  It’s called ‘Create Your Plate’ and it emphasizes portion sizes first, followed by food choices.  Here’s how it works:

1)     Put a line down the middle of your empty dinner plate.

2)     On one side, cut it again so you have three sections on your plate, one large and two smaller sections.

3)     Fill the largest section with non-starchy vegetables like green beans, spinach, lettuce, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers or peppers.

4)     In one of the smaller sections, place starchy foods, such as whole grain breads, high fiber cereal, potatoes, pasta or rice.

5)     Fill the other smaller section with lean meat, such as chicken, turkey, fish, lean cuts of beef or pork, eggs or low fat cheese..

6)     Add an eight-ounce glass of low-fat milk or a six-ounce container of light yogurt.

7)     For dessert add a piece of fresh fruit. 

          It is important to your overall health to avoid weight gain because it can lead to high blood sugar levels, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.  All of these factors can increase your risk for diabetes, heart and kidney disease.  You can still enjoy the holidays with sensible eating habits, but for those who find they have put on a few extra pounds by the end of the year, try using the ‘Create Your Plate’ tool as one of your New Year’s Resolutions.