The fall season brings crisp cool air, beautiful foliage and many holidays to enjoy with family and friends. The challenge, however, is to offer and eat healthy choices to avoid adding inches to our waistlines. Whether you are planning one last backyard barbecue, welcoming in the Jewish New Year, saluting Christopher Columbus, celebrating Eid al-Adha or hosting a Halloween gathering, here are strategies to help you and your guests with healthy eating:
Plan your menu in advance so that you have enough time to make or seek out healthy eating alternatives to your favorite foods. With advance planning, you are less likely to resort to high-calorie favorites like mayonnaise-based salads, traditional noodle pudding, rich sauces or heavy baked desserts.
Look for healthy eating recipes that use reduced or low-fat mayonnaise and sour cream, non-fat yogurt, light cream cheese, or egg whites rather than whole eggs.
Include seasonal fall vegetables such as leeks, winter squash, brussel sprouts and cauliflower into your holiday meal. Oven-roasting vegetables with a small amount of oil brings out the natural sweetness.
Add a grilled, broiled or baked alternative to a menu that includes saucy or fried foods. For instance, grilled kebobs can join a rich curry for those who want to eat lighter. A roasted chicken can be served side-by-side with a deep-fried dish.
Use vegetables to add volume, but not calories to pasta dishes like pasta salad or lasagna.
Serve fruit, as well as traditional desserts.
Practice portion control by filling half of your plate with vegetables, leaving only the other half for the caloric choices.
Scan the buffet table before adding any food to your plate so that you can consider a balance of healthy eating choices.
Finally, take a walk with friends and family after your holiday meal to get up from the table and burn off some calories!
Michelle Weisberger is a registered dietician and nutritionist at the Continuum Cancer Centers of New York.