Easy Tips for Eating Well at Year-End, Christmas & New Year’s Eve Parties

As we head into a well-deserved holiday break filled with time spent with friends and family, festive celebrations, and plenty of delicious indulgences, it’s important to prepare ourselves for the season ahead. From parties to Christmas feasts and ringing in the New Year, the temptation to overindulge is all around us.

No matter how clean and healthy your diet is now, having a plan to navigate these festive occasions can make all the difference. Considering the typical South African approach to food during this time of year, we’ve put together some practical tips to help you make the best of the worst choices and stay on track while enjoying the season.

“Drinking” Carbs:

Alcohol as you all know is a carb and here is the list to refresh your memory:

ONCE EVERY 7 DAY CYCLE – THIS RULE APPLIES ONLY IF YOU NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE CARBS AT NIGHT

Remember to swop your lunch time carb for your dinner carb if you know you are going to go out for dinner or visa versa.

1 Carb serving =

• 3 x Savannah Lights or

• 1 x Savannah Dry or

• 4 x Castle Lights or

• 1 x Castle or

• 1 x Regular Glass Champagne or

• 2 x Regular Glass Dry Champagne or

• 2 x Regular Glasses Dry White Wine or

• 2 x Regular Glasses Dry Red Wine or

• 3 x Regular Glasses Drostdy Hof Light White          Wine or

• 2 x Light Whisky or

• 1 x Dark Whisky or

• 1 x Gin or

• 1 x Vodka

2 Carb serving =

• 1 Shooter

Try setting yourself an alcohol limit before arriving at a party or social function (emphasis on the try). A good strategy is to alternate alcohol with water, soda water or sugar free drinks.

Do NOT arrive hungry:

• Do not arrive hungry to a function, the temptation to eat lots of the wrong food will be hard to resist.

• Best option is to eat a clean meal or drink a shake beforehand.

• If you are eating at the party, look for lean protein-based choices, such as meat balls, prawns, lean meat skewers, sushi, cold meat and avoid fried and pastry-based nibbles.

• Keep away from the saucy foods and dips, they tend to have lots of cream and oil in the sauces.

Tip for eating a Buffet:

At a Buffet we tend to eat more than usually so try the following:

• Always choose your protein first – select 5 different proteins and eat them and then....

• Go back and choose 3 carbs – and eat only 1.

Function at a Restaurant:

• Best choices at a restaurant are Fillet, Sirloin, half Chicken, Chicken Breasts, 2 hand size Fish or big size Salmon.

• Order salad or vegetables as a side dish, no butter, no olive oil, no salad dressing.

• When eating at a Sushi restaurant try to eat more Sashimi than rolls with rice, order Sushi without avo and mayo.

• Pizza at the function, order extra meat without cheese – you will be surprise that pizza can still taste good without cheese.

• If pasta is on the menu, chose a dish that has got more protein than pasta in it, ask for pasta without creamy sauce or olive oil.

• Burgers are often a good source of protein, and you could just eat one half of the bun if it’s a large serving size.

• Stay away from deep fried chips, wedges, battered or crumbed fish or calamari, and schnitzels. Try not eat any curry foods as it will be too high in fat.

Our South African braai:

Rather have extra lean hamburger patties or lean meat or chicken skewers or fillet or sirloin, try to avoid Boerewors, T-bone and Lamb chops.

Snacking:

Be aware of the snacks you are nibbling on between meals, it is easy to lose track especially when you are indulging in alcohol and good conversation, rather snack on protein (biltong, chicken balls, mince balls, etc.).

TREATS: (3RD & 4TH PHASERS):

(Remember only once a week and for those lucky once twice a week)

Tip: Try to always have a meal as a treat, but if it is something you have been wanting since you have been on the Lifestyle have that as a treat.

REMEMBER THE RULE HERE IS:

 If your treat is not a meal you must have it with a protein. 

• Ice cream – have an ice cream

• Cake – slice of cake

• Chocolate – front half hand

• Butter – 2 fingers

• Popcorn – as breakfast serving

• Pizza – two hands

 Meals:  (try to have it without oil or fat)

• Lamb shank

• Eisbein

• Oxtail

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Keep it simple, do not overthink your choices and enjoy the festive season with your family and friends.

Above all drive and travel safe.

Have a wonderful Festive Season