FOR SURVIVING THE HOLIDAY WITHOUT GAINING WEIGHT

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1 Family & Consumer Sciences TIPS FOR SURVIVING THE HOLIDAY WITHOUT GAINING WEIGHT University of Tennessee Extension Do you really want to start your New Year having to lose all the weight you gained over the holidays? The average weight gain from Thanksgiving to New Year is 1 or 2 pounds but 10% of the people gain 5 or more pounds and for most of them this extra weight accumulates through the years and may be a major contributor to obesity later in life. You need to keep the holidays in perspective. Watch what you eat and get your exercise. Write down your workouts (or at least time for a brisk walk) in your planner just like you would any appointment. Schedule other things around your workout, not vice-versa. Your health should not have to take a back seat to Christmas shopping. Make a personal goal of getting through the holiday season without gaining any weight. Weigh yourself the day before Thanksgiving and often throughout the season. During this time, if you find the scales have inched up a bit, cut back on high calorie foods and get more activity into your schedule. Keep focused on your goal of NO WEIGHT GAIN. Weigh again on January and give yourself a reward (nonfood) for accomplishing your goal. Here are some tips for surviving the holiday season without gaining weight. 1. When a holiday social event is planned for the evening, do not starve yourself all day. It is ridiculous to starve yourself so you can gorge at the event. This will lower your will- power and lead to overeating so in the long run, you will consume more calories than if you had eaten normally. 2. If it is not a dinner party, then eat dinner before you go. This will prevent hunger and help you make better food choices at the event. 3. Offer to bring an item. Make something really tasty that is also healthy. Most host/hostesses appreciate the offer. 4. Drink lots and lots of water! 5. Try to avoid the alcohol. If you are going to drink make sure that you drink one 8 oz. glass of water for every glass of wine or cocktail you consume. 6. Instead of alcohol, pour some sparkling water into a wine glass and sip on it. That way no one will try to give you a drink. 7. At the food table, be reasonable. Fill up on veggies and fruit first. Then go to lean proteins (if available) such as shrimp. Protein will help you resist the fat and sugar-laden foods. 8. Portion control is important all year, but it's vital when faced with a daunting supply of high-fat and even higher-sugar foods at holiday time. Choose the healthy food choices first to help you resist the temptation of the fattening foods. For many households, sweets are the foundation foods for the holiday season; but be cautious. They not only provide lots of calories, but they

2 also make us crave eating more and more. Once you ve bitten a little piece of holiday cake you may want to gorge on all of it. 9. Reminiscing with relatives is great, but why not bond with them and stay in shape at the same time with a game of touch football or even a long walk around the neighborhood? 10. If you fall off the healthy lifestyle wagon at some point, simply go back. It is important to NEVER GIVE UP. Determination is the key to success. Contributed by: Betty P. Greer, PhD, Professor/Nutrition Specialist HEALTHY SNACKS FOR THE HOLIDAYS The holiday season is jam-packed with sugary sweets that are not necessarily healthy for children or anyone for that matter. One popular idea is to use online blogs as a resource for holiday ideas such as crafts and snack time fun creations. After researching several personal blogs and commercial websites, I realized that there are several ideas that are not only fun, but nutritional as well. It is important to note that there is an abundance of unhealthy resources on the web, but if you take time and thoughtful planning, it is easy to find many nutritious treats for everyone s enjoyment. Moms, dads, grandparents, and friends will all enjoy helping children create these fun and healthy treats during the holidays or anytime for that matter. There are many quick and easy ideas you can create as healthy snacks for children during the holiday season. You may even want to use these ideas with your adult friends who are kids at heart! Below you will find step-by-step directions on making edible creations such as: Apple Turkeys, Fruit Cornucopias, Pumpkin Pie in a Bag, Banana Snowmen on a Stick, and Bagel Wreaths. Apple Turkeys Ingredients: 1 Apple Star sprinkles Pretzels Paper plate Directions: Depending on age of child, adults may want to pre-slice apples 1) Slice apple in rounds 2) Keep one apple round and set aside 3) Slice all other apple rounds in half 4) Carve one apple round half into turkey head 5) Carve one leftover apple bit into a triangle 6) Direct child on assembling apple turkey 7) See photo for finished result Fruit filled Cornucopias Fill waffle cones with a mixture of fresh fruit for a healthy and fun, festive holiday treat!

3 Pumpkin Pie in a Bag Ingredients for 25 students one gallon zip freezer bag cup cold milk two packages (four serving size) instant vanilla pudding mix one can (15 ounces) solid-pack pure pumpkin one teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 2 teaspoon ground ginger graham cracker crumbs 25 small cups Scissors one can whipped topping 25 spoons Ingredients for two quart-size zip freezer bags 1/8 cup milk 2 T canned pumpkin dash cinnamon dash ginger 1 T pudding mix* tart-size premade graham cracker crusts or ginger snaps (any type of sweetened cookies work well) * The mix should have the consistency of pudding. If it is too runny, add pudding mix. If it is too thick, add milk. Directions: 1. Combine the milk and instant pudding in the bag. 2. Remove the air from the bag and seal it. 3. Squeeze and knead with hands until the mixture is blended about one minute. 4. Add the pumpkin, cinnamon and ginger. 5. Remove the air, and seal the bag. 6. Squeeze and knead with hands until blended about two minutes. 7. Place 1 2 tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the small cups. 8. Cut the corner of the gallon freezer bag, and squeeze pie filling into the cups. 9. Garnish the cups with whipped topping. 10. Provide spoons. Enjoy. For individual servings follow directions as above and squeeze mixture into tart-size premade graham cracker crusts, or place a ginger snap at the bottom of small cups to serve as crust. Bagel Wreaths To make these cute and scrumptious bagel wreaths, spread mini bagel halves with cream cheese (plain or tinted green with herbs or food coloring), then sprinkle on red, yellow, and green bell-pepper confetti. Banana Snowmen on a Stick Ingredients: Bananas Bamboo Skewers Grapes Carrot Apple Pretzel Sticks Mini Chocolate Chips

4 Directions: Depending on age of child, adults may want to pre-cut bananas, carrot, and apple 1) For each snowman, you will need three thick slices of banana, one grape, one sliver of carrot, and a triangular piece of apple. 2) Poke a hole in the apple piece with a bamboo skewer first to make assembly easier. 3) Have children slide the fruit onto the skewer 4) Add carrot slivers for noses 5) Add mini chocolate chips for eyes and buttons 6) Place pretzel sticks in second banana for arms 7) Enjoy! Another idea for making the holidays easier and healthier for families is on-the-go snacks. Often times, families travel to attend family gatherings or even vacation during the holidays. Making sure to pack kidfriendly and healthy snacks may not be a priority, but with these time and money saving tips, parents and children will enjoy these simple ideas such as: celery and peanut butter, carrots and dip, and apples and yogurt. Apple Dippers A clean 32 oz. yogurt container makes a great on-the-go snack with a single size yogurt cup in the middle for dipping! Celery Dippers Peanut Butter jar with sticks of celery for simple snacking in the car! Carrot Dippers A clean sour cream container makes a great on-the-go snack with carrots while a baby food jar can keep vegetable dip spill proof! Resources: Contributed by: Shelly Barnes, MS, GCG, CFLE FCS Extension Agent, Wilson County Nutrition and Food Safety Leadership Team

5 MAKE HALF YOUR PLATE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES EVEN DURING THE HOLIDAYS! When you start looking forward to all the wonderful food during the holidays, fruits and vegetables may not be the first thing that comes into your mind. You might, however, start thinking about all the delicious pies, cookies and candies that have been staples at your holiday gatherings for years. It may end up looking like half your plate is made of desserts not fruits and veggies. There is no problem with having a few bites of your favorite holiday treat at the end of meal, but if you can move the focus of the meal away from dessert, and focus on the main meal, you have the chance of making a healthy plate even during the holidays! Fruits and veggies not only provide essential vitamins and minerals in your diet, they are also low in calories. A good source of fiber, fruits and vegetables help keep you feeling full. They also add great color and flavor to your plate. With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, many people may find it hard to take the time to think about how many servings of fruits and vegetables they need in a day. No worries - every time you sit down at a meal, you just have to try and fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables. Here are some tips that may help: If you are asked to bring a dish to a gathering, bring one that s filled with vegetables or fruit. Add extra vegetables to casseroles, soups, and sauces. Set out a plate of cut up vegetables or fruits for an easy, healthy appetizer. Add fruit to pancakes or muffins. Fresh, frozen, canned, or dried they all count! Use what works best for you. Fall & Winter Produce Sweet Potatoes Apples Winter Squash Kale Cranberries Oranges Pears Bananas Broccoli Pumpkin Carrots Be aware though - don t bury these nutrient-rich foods under loads of salt, fat, or sugar. There are many different ways to cook and season vegetables without using a lot of salt or fat for flavor. Try lemon juice, garlic, herbs, and spices. Enjoy the natural sweetness of fruit by not adding any extra sugar. Small changes to holiday favorites can make a big difference! Green Bean Casserole Try using fresh green beans and cook them with chunks of potatoes instead of cream soup. Looking for an added crunch? Instead of fried onion rings, try topping with sliced almonds. Mashed Potatoes Try adding skim milk, low-sodium chicken broth, garlic or garlic powder, ground black pepper, and low-fat sour cream, instead of whole milk and butter. Remember to make half your holiday plate fruits and vegetables! You can always try a few bites of everything, but still feel good about having a healthy plate and enjoying it too! Contributed by: Bethany H. Brown, MS, RD, LDN Extension Assistant

6 FOOD SAFETY IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT HOLIDAY GUEST! Did you know that 1 in 6 people get food poisoning in the United States each year? Chances are you will not hear on the news that Grandma s turkey and dressing caused her family to become sick. But, it does happen. Don t let it happen at your holiday table. Diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps are not a good way to remember your time with family and the great food. One particularly nasty bug is the one that causes Salmonellosis. Yet, it can be prevented if you follow some basic steps. 1. Thaw frozen turkey in the refrigerator, cold water or in the microwave oven. Allow about 24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds in a refrigerator set at 40 degrees or below. Thaw in a container or pan to prevent the juices from dripping on other foods. For cold water thawing, allow 30 minutes per pound. For the microwave oven, follow your manufacturer s instructions. Plan to cook it immediately after thawing. 2. Wash your hands and anything that has come in contact with the turkey in hot water and soap. 3. Set the oven temperature no lower than 325 degrees and be sure the turkey is completely thawed. Cook your turkey to 165 degrees and use a thermometer to check. Insert the thermometer into the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. This temperature will kill any Salmonella that may be present in your food. 4. Chill your leftovers right away. Anything you do not plan to eat within 2 hours should be stored in the refrigerator. It will be good for 3 to 4 days. Or, freeze leftovers for up to 2 to 6 months for best quality. Always reheat leftovers to 165 degrees. Gravy should be boiling. Should you stuff your turkey? Cooking the stuffing and turkey separately is less risky than stuffing the turkey. If you do cook them together, stuff the turkey loosely. Be sure the temperature reaches 165 degrees in the turkey and the center of the dressing. And, don t forget to let the cooked turkey stand 20 minutes before removing the stuffing and carving. This time allows the turkey and stuffing to remain at 165 degrees or more for enough time to kill harmful bacteria. Have a happy holiday and don t invite Salmonella to your home. Contributed by: Janie L. Burney, PhD, RD Professor/Nutrition Specialist