HEALTH & WELLNESS Healthier holiday eating : Create a strategy
This holiday season can be different . With help from Deborah , you ’ ll enjoy the goodies and the parties , yet you won ’ t feel bloated and worried about the toll on your waist and heart . Strategy – not utter denial – is the key to success ! Get started with the following tips .
• Look for the stars . Take stock of your traditional holiday foods and highlight what ’ s naturally healthy . For example : Turkey topped with gravy – but minus the skin – is an American Heart Association-approved entrée . And if fish is a part of your holiday tradition , indulge !
• Create new favorites . If your table groans under the weight of buttered rolls , creamed onions and rich foods , replace one or two of those heavy hitters with a new recipe – like a platter of seasoned roasted winter vegetables or red lentil and brown rice cakes ! Exchange a dozen cookies for low-fat meringues flecked with mini chocolate chips . And look to the season ’ s harvest of cranberries , apples , pears , brussel sprouts , pumpkin and squash for creative inspiration .
• Practice portion control . If you can ’ t eliminate them or make them more healthful , plan to limit your indulgences . Put a dollop of Grandma ’ s must-have giblet gravy on the side of the plate and dip your turkey into it for taste . Enjoy half a cup of eggnog – but just on a special occasion , when it means the most to you .
• Keep the rest lean and green . Don ’ t squander precious calories on a stale , store-bought cookie during a Wednesday
HEALTHY LIVING TIPS FROM coffee break . Be mindful of healthier eating amid the festivities and you ’ ll buy yourself the flexibility for special indulgences .
• Skinny it down . Transform sweet potato pie into a side dish of freshly baked sweet potatoes with a touch of cinnamon . Replace the beef in Uncle Joe ’ s New Year ’ s Day Chili with ground turkey and red beans . Check out cookbooks , holiday magazines and websites that have a health focus and learn some culinary tricks . You ’ ll be surprised how much old-fashioned flavor can be retained when you make clever substitutions .
• Party on . Be a good guest and offer to prepare a dish for the next event . Whip up a low-fat yogurt dip and cut up some crunchy crudités , or prepare an angel food cake and a simple compote of fruits marinated in juice . And don ’ t be shy ; ask about the menu ahead of time so you can plan your choices .
• Eat out with savvy . Favor restaurants that offer whole-grain breads , salads and seafood . Portions are often gigantic in restaurants , so plan to split an entrée with a friend , bring some home or order an appetizer-size plate of pasta as your main meal .
For an appointment or more information about how Deborah Heart and Lung Center ’ s leading-edge technologies can improve your quality of life , call 800-555-1990 or request info or an appointment by visiting www . demanddeborah . org .
80 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ NOVEMBER 2017