Cara Cunningham, MINDI, Community Dietitian
Christmas can be a bit of a disaster for the diet, and many’s the long January evening we rue the excesses. So how about thinking of swapping some Christmas habits – not exactly denying yourself but just reining in the inner hungry beast! You would be surprised the benefits just a tiny bit of restraint can yield.
I know roasties are lovely at dinner, but if you have mashed potatoes and skip your three roastie potatoes you will save yourself 379 calories – worth considering
Mince pies – there they are just sitting there all sugar coated and looking lovely – but it you succumb to one mince pie and don’t go back for a second you will save yourself a whopping 185 calories
Skip the Christmas pudding and cream after your big Christmas dinner - and it is possible, as let’s face it, you’re not eating it due to being starving - even put it off and have it instead of the rounds of turkey sandwiches. That a saving of 329 calories
Boxes of chocolates doing the rounds; again it usually happens during the Christmas movies. It is very easy to eat loads and not even notice them. Allowing yourself two chocolates instead of four will save you around 90 calories
Family homes are usually full of grazing bowls of crisps and nuts around Christmas time. These are lethal; the amount of calories you consume really depends on the size of your hand! That’s a lot of little extras going straight into your wobbly storage areas!
One way to redress the balance would be to make sure that you get out and get active over the holiday – with most people on holiday it’s a lovely tradition to have a family walk or better still take part in a Christmas run or swim.
Have a happy Christmas but with a bit of thought, make it a happier January too! For more information on any of the issues discussed above or for more information on diet and nutrition, please contact Maria at: The Community Nutrition and Dietetic Service, HSE Dublin-Mid Leinster by telephone on (044 ) 9395518 or email [email protected].
