Eating well over the holidays isn’t easy. With parties, travel, delicious desserts and indulgent entrees, it’s not easy to stay balanced this time of year. This week we’re sharing some of our favorite strategies from the Meez Kitchen.
No matter what your entrée, serve a hearty salad or side vegetable to your meal. It’ll add great nutrition and help you feel full, so you’ll be less likely to sneak seconds on dessert.
If you’re heading out of town, avoid the temptation to order take out instead of cooking before you leave. Make a hands-free dinner that can cook itself while you’re packing or doing laundry.
After a long flight or drive, cooking can be the last thing on your mind. But if you’ve been eating indulgent meals while traveling, a home-cooked meal might be just what you need. Plan your return meals before you go and stock the fridge with prepped ingredients, or plan a meal you can cook from your freezer.
Who says the holiday dinner has to be the same starchy recipes year after year? Add a twist (and nutrition) with roasted vegetables. This week we’re offering a roasted vegetable salad with an Asiago vinaigrette, Dijon roasted broccoli and Thai peanut carrots, all perfect for livening up the traditional table plus offering a boost of nutrition. (See the full menu here.)
When you break out of your work-a-day routine, breakfast can fall by the wayside. But all those nutrition experts are right. Skipping breakfast just means you’ll load up on an indulgent lunch. So stick with your regular favorites or take advantage of a more relaxed schedule by cooking up something that you normally don’t have time for. Eggs? Steel-cut oatmeal? The choice is yours.
Take the focus off food at holiday gatherings and add some activities. Whether your family loves card games, charades, going for a walk or putting on ice skates, start traditions that go beyond food.
There’s no reason to save your favorite holiday recipes for once or twice a year. Instead, promise yourself you’ll make that favorite pie or casserole this summer. Knowing you can have it again will mean you don’t need to eat a year’s worth in one sitting.
If you’re a fan of eggnog, green bean casserole or Aunt Sue’s cheese log, by all means enjoy them. But if they’re dishes that you wouldn’t eat the rest of the year, give them a pass and enjoy the foods you really love.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the food, both good and bad at the holidays. This year, take time to focus on the magic of being with the people you love. It’s being together that makes the holidays special.
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