Three Easy Ways To Cut Calories This Holiday Season
This year, instead of pigging out to your heart's content during the holidays, follow a few simple tips to cut calories while still celebrating.
1. Participate in holiday (physical) activities - Don't just sit around and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and It's a Wonderful Life. get out there and burn some calories with some physical activity. For example, volunteer at a holiday charitable event, go carolling with neighbors or bundle up and take a walk around the neighborhood to enjoy the Christmas lights. Also, consider going to a Christmas Tree farm where you can walk around and find your own tree instead of going to a tree lot in town. It will be a memorable experience, and your tree with last longer because it's freshly cut!
2. Stay away from dark meat - When you are carving the turkey, try to eat mostly white meat. The white meat is much leaner than the dark meat and has less calories and more beneficial nutrients. If there is gravy to put on your turkey and mashed potatoes, pass on it. The gravy often contains high amounts of fat. Wouldn't you rather put those calories toward dessert anyway?
3. Choose desserts wisely - As tempting as it may be, stay away from the cream and sugar based pies. Eggnog pie does look delicious, and pecan pie is melt in your mouth sweet, but they are extremely high in calories. Pies that are fruit or vegetable based, like apple, blueberry, and pumpkin pies, are usually lower in fat and calories. If you want to get bonus points and save on even more calories - stop eating when you get to the crusts, this is usually the most caloric part of the pie as all of the butter ends up there!
