Worried about the upcoming holiday season? I’m going to explain what I meal by “pack a punch” and all I mean is that these foods often have more calories than we imagine. Let me ease your concerns with some valuable nutrition based tips for holiday food and drinks that are much more dense than you would imagine.

• Eggnog. This delicious drink packs 120 calories per 1/2 cup serving with the major ingredients being sugar, cream & egg yolk. If eggnog is your absolute favorite, I recommend cutting it with non-fat milk or occasionally adding a small amount to your coffee or tea. With this tip you still get to enjoy your holiday treat without feeling guilty.

• Cranberry Sauce. Cranberries, sugar(like a lot of sugar!) and water. Think of portion size here, the sauce is very flavourful and a small amount like a teaspoon can go a long way.

• Booze. Yes I said it. The holidays often come with long stints of excessive drinking. The average alcoholic drink is 100-150 calories with a small rum and eggnog coming in at over 200 calories.

• Cheese. This might not apply to all but my family eats a lot more cheese around Christmas. Choose a strong flavoured cheese, this will make the cheese taste last longer and you can choose a smaller portion. If you’re eating cheese from a cheese platter I want you to take a look at the fruits or veggies that look like décor, those are for eating too!

• Chocolate and other Desserts. I don’t think this comes as a surprise so my advice should not surprise you either, portion size! Start with ½ of what you would normally choose and see how you feel? Did the portion meet your needs or do you want more or do you want something else?

• Cookie Exchange. You do not have to participate. I know it’s hard and we will be forever plagued by FOMO but think of the time you will save yourself and the stress you can avoid. If you choose to participate, here are some strategies: shrink the portion sizes, exchange only 1-2 cookies of each kind instead of 6-12. Plan for the cookie exchange to occur before a potluck you’re going to where you are responsible for dessert.

As you read this, I want to make sure you don’t see these recommendations as restrictions. It is completely contrary to my beliefs and values to vilify or completely restrict a food or food group, you can read an entire post about it here.  It’s important you know more about your foods so that you can take control of your decisions. Who cares what choice you make, as long as you’re aware of what you’re deciding! I want you to ride out the holiday season feeling awesome and start 2019 with your best foot forward. If you’re thinking you need more support with your nutrition I suggest you look back to older blog posts like: what to do if you’re craving chocolate, how to get more veggies in your diet, 3 weight loss promoting breakfasts, why you need to eat oatmeal. If that’s not enough for you to feel absolutely confident, reach out! I have a special program only available before January 1st.

Comment any other questions you have so that I can tailor my future blog posts to your needs!

Happy holidays!

-Megan