Most people over-indulge at some point during the holiday season. Rich, traditional meals eaten on one or two days of the year won’t harm you, but the trouble is that the holiday season can go on and on, with new temptations every day. Follow these easy healthy holiday eating tips to maintain a healthier diet

• Keep an eye on serving sizes
  It’s not so much what you eat that does the damage, it’s how much you eat. Put plenty of vegetables on your plate and a smaller amount of meat. Enjoy all the festive treats, but savour them in small quantities: one spoonful of cream rather than a big dollop, a thin sliver of cheese not a wedge, two chocolates, not six.

• Beware of buffets
  A laden table is temptation indeed. Have a healthy snack an hour or so before you go to the party, to take the edge off your appetite. Take along a healthy dish to share. Use a small plate, and fill it just once. Go easy on meat, and stack up the salads and vegetables, with just a small portion of mayo or creamy dressing.

• Control snacks
  Food that’s easily accessible – surprise – gets eaten! Don’t leave bowls of nuts or candy out at all times. Buy nuts in the shell, which makes them harder to eat on impulse. Do keep a well-filled bowl of fresh fruit always available.

• Keep eating fruit and vegetables
  Enjoy the freshness of raw fruits and vegetables. They make a great contrast to richer foods. Serve a platter of vegetable crudités before every meal. Everyone enjoys picking at them, and they leave less room for the goodies to follow. End the meal with a beautifully arranged dish of fresh fruit. Choose exotics like star fruit, lychees, pomegranate, pineapple, mango for luscious flavour and visual appeal.

• Stay on track
  If you’re anxious not to gain weight over the holidays – and who isn’t? – get into the habit of having just a couple of unhealthy goodies every day, in the weeks leading up to, and immediately after, the big festive days. Have fun choosing what you’ll enjoy each day, linger over the treat, then put the box away. And to do your holiday healthy a final favour, get up off the couch at least once a day, and take a brisk 30 minute walk.

Elizabeth Martyn is webmaster at http://www.healthy-eating-made-easy.com

http://healthy-eating-made-easy.com, where she provides information, tips and recipes on using seasonal, fresh ingredients to feed the family healthily and without hassle.

Visit the site for more http://www.healthy-eating-made-easy.com/healthy-holiday-eating-tips.html healthy holiday eating tips and ideas for great family meals.

This article may be published electronically or in print in its entirety as long as the author by-lines in the resource box are included and urls kept live.

• Five Christmas Trees


• How Movies Can Help You Celebrate more Meaningful Holidays


• How To Celebrate Valentines Day When You Are Single


• 10 Tips for Stress-Free Holidays


• Mirth Without Girth: 7 Tips to Avoid Weight Gain and the Holiday Seven


• New Year Trivia Quiz


• Christmas Trivia – 3 Insights About 3 Popular Christmas Symbols!


• Christmas Angels: Those Who Touch Our Lives


• Is This the Year to Simplify Christmas Dinner?


• What Christmas is Like for Some - A Look at Holiday Realities