"The key is moderation, not
deprivation," says Talamini. "There's no need to pass up
your grandmother's apple pie, or dressing with your turkey.
Just take small servings, and balance out higher-fat choices
with nonfat dairy products and fresh fruits and vegetables."
Here are Talamini's top 10
strategies for staying on track this holiday season:
1. Make your home "safe" by
keeping fattening goodies out of sight and donating unwanted
food items to charity.
2. Lighten up your eggnog by
mixing equal portions of half and half with nonfat milk, and
flavoring it with rum extract.
3. Use smaller plates. It'll
seem like you're enjoying a lot more food.
4. Fill half of your plate
with vegetables and salad; a quarter with mashed potatoes or
yams; and a quarter with meat.
5. Use visual cues for
portion control: 6 ounces of turkey (the size of two decks
of cards), one-half cup of stuffing (small fist), and 2
tablespoons of gravy or cranberry relish (nail polish
bottle).
6. Dip your fork into a
small cup of fat-free salad dressing, and "drizzle and drip"
onto your salad.
7. Roast your turkey without
the stuffing, breast side down, to keep it moist and allow
the fat to run off. For a browned top, turn your turkey
right side up for the last half hour.
8. Bake dressing alongside
your turkey-instead of inside, where it will absorb
additional fat. Cook the dressing slowly in the oven, and
replace most of the butter or oil with chicken stock and
wine.
9. Instead of drippings,
giblets and whole milk in your gravy-try fat-free broth,
mushrooms and skim milk.
10. When preparing desserts,
substitute two egg whites for every whole egg; applesauce
for the shortening or butter in boxed mixes; nonfat yogurt
for sour cream; minichocolate chips for regular ones (and
reduce the amount by half); and graham cracker, chocolate
wafer or gingersnap pie crusts for shortening-based crusts.
For more healthy holiday
tips, visit www.jennycraig.com.
The key to not gaining
weight during the holidays is moderation, not deprivation.
