5 healthy eating tips for the holidays

ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM-TV) – The holiday season brings work parties, family gatherings, and a lot of food. You can enjoy this holiday season without the extra weight gain. 18 News spoke with a registered dietitian and founder of Nexus Nutrition, Alexander LeRitz Salisbury, who shared five healthy eating tips for the holidays.

Don’t Skip Meals

“Don’t skip your meals,” LeRitz Salisbury lists as his top tip. “The tendency is you have a big dinner coming up later, so you skip breakfast or lunch. This may end up working against you. By the time you get to dinner, you’re going to be ravenous. And frankly, you’re likely going to eat more than you need, and you’re not going to feel those feelings of fullness until after the fact where you’re uncomfortable.”

Making Healthy Food Swaps

“Make healthy food swaps where you can,” said LeRitz Salisbury. You’ll want to “switch out some of those holiday dishes, or opt to use less sugar in some of the recipes. This is one way in which we can reduce additional calories that we may be getting through the food and help keep us on track,” he continued.

Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods

“Another important one is eating nutrient-dense foods,” LeRitz Salisbury shared. “I want to get specifically into the protein aspect. So our foods that are high in protein are digested a little bit slower in the body. Thus, when we eat them, we have these feelings of being full for a long period. So at that Christmas dinner, opt for getting those extra servings of turkey or ham. Fill your plate with that protein. It’s going to take up a lot of volume in your stomach and help prevent you from overheating.”

Eat Foods You Love

“Because it’s the holidays, and we do deserve to enjoy ourselves,” LeRitz Salisbury said. “Eat the foods you love. I’m a firm believer in everything in moderation. So if you love that pumpkin pie or apple pie, you can indulge, don’t avoid it. Restrictive behaviors ultimately end up leading to purging our binging where we’re eating more foods than we mean to because we’ve told ourselves I can’t have that,” he continued.

Don’t Put Hard Limits on Yourself

“And lastly, don’t put hard limits on yourself,” said LeRitz Salisbury. “Moderation where necessary, be mindful of what you’re eating. It’s the holidays. We’re getting to see friends and family. Especially with how things have been the last two years, you should take the time to enjoy them,” Alexander said.

To learn more about Nexus Nutrition simply click HERE.