BU Now » Holiday Eating

From Joan Salge Blake:

Lauren Davalla — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:08:38 +0000

Tip No. 6: Be part of the solution
Be sure to practice what you preach at your own party. Limit the number of hors d’oeuvres you serve and keep them as healthful as possible. Choose fresh veggies and sliced fruit instead of cheese and crackers. Serve dinner early and choose a lean entree such as grilled seafood.

Tip: When it comes to dessert, go light and go for a contained amount. When you make a dessert, make one that can only be served in individual portions. If you’re having a party for eight, make sure you only have eight individual desserts. Then there’s no leftover cheesecake to wake up to.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday season.

From Joan Salge Blake:

Lauren Davalla — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:22:05 +0000

Tip No. 5: Flatter the cook

Cooks always bring out their best recipes for the holidays. The only problem is that they expect you to eat all that food even if you are stuffed. Unfortunately, cleaning your plate is a signal to the hostess that you enjoyed the meal.

Tip: Ask him or her for the recipe. Imitation in the sincerest form of flattery. Your host will be thrilled that you enjoyed the meal so much that you want to share it with others.

From Joan Salge Blake:

Lauren Davalla — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:31:01 +0000

Tip No. 4: Stuff yourself before you go

If the dinner party invitation says cocktails start at 7 pm, this probably means that dinner won’t be served until Dave Letterman is delivering his monologue. As the evening wears on, even the wallpaper will start to look tasty. In this ravenous state you are likely to stuff yourself with too many hors d’oeuvres at dinner.

Tip: Nibble on something healthy before you leave the house – a large salad or a bowl of hearty vegetable soup. This tactic will curb the temptation to eat the mountain of cheese and crackers that are typically at holiday parties.

From Joan Salge Blake:

Lauren Davalla — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:58:19 +0000

Tip No. 1: Eat Off Grandma’s China
Talk about portion distortion. According to research, the surface area of a typical dinner plate has increased by 36% since 1960. Let’s face it: The bigger the plate, the more food you are likely to heap on and eat.

Tip: Use Grandma’s dinner plates at your supper and smaller plates when you entertain this holiday season. Using a smaller plate can dramatically reduce the calories consumed at that meal. Piling mostly veggies on smaller plates can further reduce calories at your meals yet “fill you up without filling you out”.

From Joan Salge Blake:

Lauren Davalla — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:48:43 +0000

The Science Behind Holiday Weight Gain: Tis the season… We know that the holiday season brings too many parties, too many get-togethers, and too many desserts. However, an interesting article from the National Council on Strength & Fitness identifies a group of compounding physiological factors that explain why the activities of the holidays make it more challenging to maintain your weight.

According to the article, stress can play a factor. Stress can lead to the drive to use food and alcohol as a coping mechanism. Consistently eating excess calories will not only cause excess weight gain but reaching for the alcohol can also can increase the release of the hormone, ghrelin, which can stimulate hunger and eating. In essence, alcohol provides a double whammy effect. The shopping and festive activities can wreck havoc with your sleep patterns. According to the article, getting less than 8 hours of sleep a night can alter the levels of insulin and ghrelin in your body and lead to overeating.

To help you enjoy your holidays without the excess bulge, I will be posting a daily Holiday Party Tip starting tomorrow.

A Thanksgiving Series from Nutrition Professor Joan Salge Blake:

Jennifer McDonald — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:51:33 +0000

Between now and Thanksgiving, Registered Dietitian and healthy eating expert Joan Salge Blake will be offering tips to trim turkey day weight.

Tip # 1: Carve out an earlier time to eat.

When Thanksgiving dinner is served at 2 or 3 p.m., we tend to skip lunch in an attempt to make room for a few extra dinner calories. Has this ever really worked? Not in my house. By the time dinner finally rolls around, the smell of roasting turkey has permeated every pore of my skin, and I am transformed into an uncontrollable eating machine. To avoid this, have a light lunch to help you keep to more civilized portions. Or better yet, move up the start of dinner to high noon on the East Coast, that’s immediately after Santa brings up the rear of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Check back tomorrow for Tip #2.