Dawn Jackson Blatner
Dietitian, author of “The Flexitarian Diet”
My secret to staying healthy over the holidays: I have 3 tricks that I swear by over the holidays:
- Drink club soda at parties between glasses of wine.
- Only eat food from a plate–no grazing.
- Limit variety.
Just eating from a plate helps me stay mindful about what and how much I’m eating. Too much variety is a bad thing because it makes it harder to get satisfied. So I limit myself to just my absolute favorites instead of having little bites of everything. I inventory appetizers, sides, and desserts for favorites–instead of a little of everything–so I feel satisfied, not deprived.
My holiday indulgence: Cheese and holiday cookies. But I put a healthy spin on my indulgences too. I add produce, like marinated artichokes, roasted red peppers and pickled asparagus to round out a cheese tray. I also eat my favorite cookies mindfully from a plate with a cup of mint tea. It helps me slow down the process of eating cookies and really enjoy them.