about nutrition will be closed from 23 December until the 28 January 2010. Please email an appointment in February 2010 to turbo charge your New Year Resolutions to be fit fabulous and to reach your highest potential.
Have a Fabulous Festive Season!
9 Wisbeach Street
Balmain NSW 2041
ph +61 2 98107845
mob +61 412 036476
email susan@aboutnutrition.com.au
FESTIVE SEASON
Christmas is nearly upon us and a time when eating habits can get tossed out the window. With a little planning and thought you can get through the season without your waistline increasing. Here are a few tips to help you through the festive season.
An integral part of long term weight management is developing and maintaining a positive relationship with food and the way you eat. Enjoying the delights of beautifully prepared food surrounded by good friends and family is part of that and embracing these celebrations is essential in keeping us healthy and functioning optimally.
Maintain a mindfulness around what is put in your mouth. This is the secret to not overeating
Alcohol
Alcohol equals empty calories.
If you have a number of social occasions you need to set some rules around drinking prior to attending.
Make the days when not celebrating alcohol free to help compensate and maintain a balance.
Decide before the event what you want to drink and set some limits on how much.
Offer to drive to limit or avoid drinking on some occasions.
Always start with a glass of water and satisfy thirst before starting to drink alcohol.
Always have a glass of water on the table next to your glass of wine.
Do not allow your glass to be topped up so that you can monitor amount drunk.
Try the low alcohol wines, as they are lower in alcohol, they are also lower in alcohol. Lindemans make a reasonable early harvest sparkling white.
Champagne is a lower calorie option than cocktails, particularly avoid the creamy versions.
Canapés and nibbles
This can be the danger zone for many of us as we tend to munch away without thinking.
Before anything is eaten give yourself some guidelines. Here are some suggestions.
Whether your weakness is savoury or sweet, set some limits.
I am going to have ……no. (say 4) of what is offered.
I will stick to vegetarian options (usually lower calorie choices).
I will avoid anything fried.
I will choose the canapés that are fresh
I will eat the vegetable options.
I will avoid pastry based canapés or choose fillo pastry over other pastries.
Eat more of the vegetable based antipasto selection and a tiny amount if any of cold meats offered, e.g. salami.
If you love your deli meats, have your deli slice thinly, beautiful prosciutto and wrap around a slice of rock melon to serve.
Goats cheese and other soft cheeses are better choices than hard cheeses or cheesy dips.
Olives are better to choose than nuts as you are less likely to eat as many but nuts are better than chips.
Eat slowly and enjoy every mouthful so that you fully taste the food.
If you are catering or even if attending someone else’s house, offer to bring some of the nibblies so that there are some low fat options available.
Listed below are some party foods that are healthier options and won’t stack on the weight so much.
Party foods that are kinder to your waistline
Bowls of delicious seasonal fruit, e.g. cherries, lychees, apricots
Low fat dips such as yoghurt based dips or oil based rather than cheese based e.g. tzatziki, beetroot or carrot dips, baba ganoush and homous.
Large platters of vegetable crudités to munch or dip.
Whole nuts in bowls that require shelling. This slows down the number that end up in your mouth and keeps your hands busy. Nuts are a better option than fired or baked chips and crackers.
Low fat salmon log (see attached recipe)
Grilled asparagus spears with shaved parmesan
Slices of grilled fennel brushed with olive oil, seasoned with herbamare and lemon juice
Pumpkin and sweet potato rounds baked with olive oil, lemon juice & oregano, topped with a small dob of goats cheese and olive tapenade or pesto.
CHRISTMAS DINNER
The Main Course
Many Australians now opt for delicious seafood rather than the traditional Turkey and Ham version, which is easier to manage when trying to lose or maintain weight.
Seafood is always best when simply prepared with some garlic, lemon juice and fresh herbs and grilled or barbecued and served with lovely fresh green salads.
Regardless of whether you choose seafood or traditional, make sure you have a wide range of vegetable options, particularly non starchy types, cooked and also salads.
If your family prefers the traditional christmas feast, here are a few tips.
Load you plate with non starchy vegetables and salad first, filling at least half the plate to restrict the space left.
Choose turkey breast (white meat) rather than the brown meat.
Have a small single serve of ham. It is a strong flavoured meat and a few mouthfuls is usually sufficient.
Avoid or only put a spoon of gravy on side of plate rather than pouring over meat and vegetables.
Roast pumpkin is a better choice than potato and sweet potato. Roasted capsicum, zucchini, leeks & onion are even better & only lightly spray with olive oil in a separate pan to the turkey.
Don’t eat bread with your meal particularly if having starchy vegetables.
Avoid or just have a small taste of the turkey stuffing.
Desserts
Have some fruit based desserts available as an option to the Christmas pudding.
If you love your Christmas pudding, have a small slice with either low fat custard or yoghurt or a small amount of ice cream, NOT all three.
Fill up on fresh fruit salad or other fruit based desserts, e.g. rhubarb and apple crumble, fruit flans etc.
Coffee & Petit Fours
Ideally choose an espresso or if you like you coffee milky, have a piccolo (mini) skim milk latte, served in an espresso sized cup.
If petit fours, the “quality streets” or “favourites” selections are offered, choose your favourite one then STOP.
Give away the left-overs to visitors to avoid snacking on them after the event.
Avoid giving and receiving chocolates and sweets as presents, to avoid temptation.
BALANCE DAYS
After your big feast days, start off with a simple breakfast, ideally fresh fruit full of enzymes to help you body to continue detoxifying or a small bowl of cereal.
As it is Summer, enjoy salads for lunches and dinners or a simple piece of grilled fish, chicken or lean meat with a couple of steamed non starchy vegetables.
Drink lots of water and snack on fresh fruit and vegetables.
EXERCISE
Lastly, keep active throughout the festive season! Remember more muscle better fat burning.
Why not go for a walk between the main and dessert course.
We are fortunate to live in a country blessed with good weather so make the most of it and get outside and walk, run, swim, cycle, surf, roller blade, play tennis, golf or team sports and enjoy yourself.
SALMON LOG
Ingredients
2 x 220g tins red or pink salmon, drained
250g Reduced fat cream cheese
1 medium onion grated
1 tabspoon horseradish
½ tspn Worcestershire sauce
2 tspns finely chopped chives
1 tspn lemon juice
finely chopped parsley
finely chopped pecan nuts
Method
Combine all ingredients except parsley and pecan nuts and mix well
Press up against sides of glass bowl, thickness of about 1-2cm.
Freeze for 10mins
Divide into two and roll into a log shape on alfoil.
Roll up and freeze till firm
Store in refrigerator. (can stay in freezer for approx 2 weeks until needed.
If frozen thaw 2-3 hrs before required.
Remove from alfoil and roll in combined parsley and pecan nuts.
Serve on platter with crackers or vegetable crudités, round shape best.
Have a Happy and Relaxing Holiday.
See you in 2010!
Susan
aboutnutrition.me 