Avoid packing on extra pounds between Thanksgiving and the New Year with these smart snacking tips for holiday parties.
Do you dread stepping on the scale after the holidays?
You're not alone: According to one study, pounds put on between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day account for 51 percent of a person's annual weight gain, suggesting that the six-week holiday season may be a heavy contributor to the national increase in obesity (Nutrition Reviews, 2000, vol. 58, no. 12). Try these tips for avoiding extra calories at holiday parties:
- Instead of nibbling a single chocolate-chip cookie or assorted chocolate chunks (1 ounce, 130 calories), savor strawberries (1 cup, 45 calories) or apple slices (1 cup, 65 calories)
- Instead of eating a fistful of chips (1 ounce, 150 calories), enjoy the same amount of pretzels (110 calories) or 10 baby carrots (40 calories)
- Instead of downing a strawberry daiquiri (7 ounces, 200 calories), refresh yourself with a glass of rosé (4 ounces, 88 calories), sparkling cider (6 ounces, 100 calories) or ice water with lemon (0 calories)
- Instead of scooping up onion dip (1 ounce, 50 calories), indulge in bean dip (1 ounce, 30 calories) or salsa (1 ounce, 8 calories)
- Instead of gobbling honey-roasted peanuts (1 ounce, 170 calories), munch on baby dill pickles (1 ounce, 4 calories)
Source: The NutriBase Nutrition Facts Desk Referenceby Art Ulene, MD (Avery Publishing Group, 1995).
