PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – The holiday season often comes with lots of delicious comfort meals and sweet treats. A dietician at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center shared her tips and tricks with FOX 12 to encourage everyone to keep up their healthy eating habits.
From Halloween candy to Thanksgiving dinner, to Christmas celebrations, and more, it can be a little too easy to overindulge during the holiday season.
“Starting in October with Halloween and it rolls right on through November and of course, December and into New Year’s,” said Jamie Libera, a dietician at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. “It’s just a lot of temptation of foods that we’re not typically used to including in our eating plans.”
Libera shared her words of advice on navigating a healthy holiday season, while still being able to enjoy the foods that come with it.
“Try to eat it in small amounts, really enjoy it and savor it, and then move along,” she said. “And try to keep other parts of our diet intact by incorporating fiber-rich foods like whole grains and fruits, and vegetables to hopefully still meet our nutritional goals by still enjoying some of our favorites during this time of year.”
Libera also recommends avoiding processed foods as much as you can by opting to cook your own meals.
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Libera’s tips and tricks to eating healthy this holiday season:
- Control fat, salt, and sugar intakes. Use olive oil instead of butter, reduced-fat milk instead of cream, take it easy on the cheese, and choose leaner meats.
- Choose fresh foods and homemade meals, cook with herbs and spices to add flavor without adding salt.
- Opt for whole grains when possible, limit sugary drinks and alcohol intake. Drink water, seltzer, unsweetened coffee or tea, and even mocktails.
When it comes to exercise, Libera said it’s essential for a healthy holiday season. While many of us might avoid getting outside in the fall and winter weather, Libera said to embrace it.
“Making sure you’re making time to move your body, maintaining some of those health habits you’ve worked hard for over the past year, is our best bet at this time of year,” Libera said.
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