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Tips for eating healthy at Christmas

There are barely a few days until Christmas arrives. A very special time of year, in which family lunches and dinners are frequent. In general, the foods we eat at Christmas have a high caloric index: polvorones, nougats, roasts … But, is it possible to eat healthy at Christmas ?

Although it seems an impossible mission, the truth is that it is. Yes, you can eat healthy on these dates, although you should know how to do it.

How to eat healthy at Christmas?

Balanced menu

The first and most important thing is to prepare a balanced Christmas menu. What does this mean? For example, if you are serving a roast as a main dish, avoid entrees with saturated fat such as cold cuts. Better opt for a vegetable cream. Although a priori it may seem a bit strange to serve a dish of this type at Christmas Eve dinner, surely your guests will appreciate it a lot: the vegetable cream is very good for the body to warm up at this time of year and, in addition, it is very easy to digest. Vegetables for starters are an excellent choice.

As for dessert, at this time of year there is a tendency to abuse nougat, polvorones and cakes. Why don’t you make your own homemade fruit-based nougat ? Or, if you want to indulge yourself, you can serve a bit of the nougat that you like best accompanied by a fruit salad.

Hydration

As in any other time of the year, hydration is one of the basic rules for healthy eating at Christmas. If you tend to abuse soda and sugar-rich drinks on these dates, it is better that you forget about them. These drinks are high in calories and their nutritional value is practically nil. Do not forget to drink two liters of water daily. And, for after meals and dinners, nothing better than an infusion to promote digestion.

Exercise

Who said you can’t exercise at Christmas? While it is true that during the holidays the most important thing is to relax and rest, you do not have to put sport aside for that. You can take advantage of these days to do outdoor activities as a family, such as biking or hiking. With 30 minutes of physical exercise a day is enough to keep you in shape and take care of your health.

5 meals

At Christmas it is completely normal to modify the schedules of the daily routine. But you should not stop eating your five meals a day . Otherwise, you will only get to the main meal much hungrier, which carries a greater risk of “bingeing.” For lunch and a snack, always opt for healthy snacks, such as fruit or nuts.

Food amounts

At Christmas lunches and dinners it is easy to exceed quantities. In practically every house there ends up having food left over. And this is precisely what you should avoid. To control the quantities, it is better to use medium plates instead of large ones. And above all, avoid the temptation to repeat several times. It is essential that you do not finish the meal feeling stuffy.

Preparation method

Instead of eating a lot during the Christmas holidays, without thinking about the nutritional value of the food , you should do just the opposite: bet on quality instead of quantity. This is one of the best tips for eating healthy at Christmas.

Favor the consumption of vegetables and proteins , and avoid processed foods, refined flours and fried foods. Eating healthy on these dates does not mean that you can only eat steamed foods and vegetables. The idea is that you value all the options and choose a healthy, varied and balanced menu.

Alcohol

Alcohol is one of the great protagonists of the Christmas holidays, but that does not mean you have to abuse it. Remember that alcoholic beverages are very caloric. Therefore, you have to drink in moderation and have a glass of water between glasses . Why don’t you dare to prepare several non-alcoholic cocktails for you and your guests?

80/20 rule

Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule? It is a very simple rule to apply, which is that 80% of everything you drink and eat is healthy, and the remaining 20% ​​are cravings . So Christmas lunches and dinners will be much more bearable for you.

Nutrients

When designing the Christmas menu , you should choose foods rich in two nutrients. On the one hand, unsaturated fats of vegetable origin, such as nuts and some fish. And, on the other hand, fiber, since it favors intestinal transit and provides a feeling of satiety. Fiber is present in legumes, fruits, and green leafy vegetables.

Healthier foods for Christmas

Now that the theory about what you should do to eat healthy at Christmas is clear, let’s move on to practice. What are the healthiest foods for Christmas lunches and dinners? Take note!

  • Seafood: prawns, spider crab, prawns … They provide proteins of high biological value, vitamins and minerals. You can prepare them on the iron or steamed. Most important of all, avoid mixing these foods with batters and sauces.
  • Mushrooms: mushrooms contain B vitamins and minerals, as well as other important nutrients for the proper functioning of the body. In addition, they are very rich in fiber, so they allow you to digest food without making it heavy.
  • Blue fish: as a main dish you can choose blue fish, such as tuna or mackerel. It is very rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and proteins.
  • Turkey – Turkey roast is one of the great Christmas classics in many homes. This is one of the meats with the least fat content. If you want to eat healthy, you can prepare a turkey roast with a vegetable base, avoiding sauces.
  • Dried fruits: and, finally, dehydrated fruits, which strengthen the immune system as they are rich in fiber, iron and antioxidants. You can include them in the Christmas menu as a healthy appetizer, or as part of a dessert.

As you can see, eating healthy at Christmas is not very complicated. You just have to be very clear about the healthiest foods and how to prepare them. Starting from this base, he designs a healthy and balanced menu. For example: a vegetable cream for a starter, a vegetable-based oven roasted turkey for a main dish, and a homemade fruit nougat for dessert. Your guests will be delighted!

And don’t forget to eat calmly , chewing your food well and talking to your family. Eating like this has been shown to lower your intake. And it is that, during digestion hormones are released in the intestine that generate a feeling of satiety in the brain. Therefore, if you eat slowly, satiety occurs when there is still food on the plate.

Now is the time to put these tips to eat healthy for Christmas into practice . Because taking care of your line and your health in the time of polvorón and nougat, it is possible!

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Hello Readers, I am Nikki Bella a Psychology student. I have always been concerned about human behavior and the mental processes that lead us to act and think the way we do. My collaboration as an editor in the psychology area of ​​Well Being Pole has allowed me to investigate further and expand my knowledge in the field of mental health; I have also acquired great knowledge about physical health and well-being, two fundamental bases that are directly related and are part of all mental health.

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