At this time of year, we often find ourselves dealing with conflicting messages in the media about how to eat healthily at Christmas. We are told to not “let ourselves go” because we need to fit into our bathers at the beach, but also bombarded with many a mouthwatering, calorific, and often alcoholic recipe!
You may have picked up by now that at Essence of Eating, we are all about moderation. Of course, we want you to be healthy, but we also want you to enjoy your life. We hate diets. We hate to see people restricting their food intake unnecessarily. And we hate that so many people are trapped in a cycle of guilt about what they are eating.
So in line with this, we suggest that you continue with what you are eating, but add more fruit and veggies. This way, you’re indulging as is fairly inevitable at Christmas, but you’re also taking in a lot of nutrients.
Here’s how you can do this:
Drinking sparkling wine, soda water, or regular water?
Add fresh fruit or vegetables with a high water content for a burst of flavour. Strawberries are great with sparkling wine and cucumber or lemon are beautiful with water.
Making a salad?
Please continue! However, add a few more veggies (and even fruit) into it than you normally would. Tasty and beautiful-looking!
Having a BBQ?
Make some veggie skewers with a garlic lemon marinade. (You’ll find some fantastic marinades here)
Cooking roast potatoes?
Chuck in some pumpkin, carrot and zucchini to the mix as well.
So CAN you really eat healthily at Christmas?
Short answer: yes you can, but it’s OK to indulge, too. Don’t get so preoccupied with what you are eating that you forget to have a great time! I often say to my clients that Christmas Day necessarily isn’t the issue; it’s the over indulging from the multiple Christmas parties and leftover food before and after Christmas that is the problem. Christmas is to be enjoyed!