Christmas Comfort Foods - Healthied Up!
I love Christmas SO MUCH!! This holiday is literally my JAM! I love watching all of the predictable Hallmark Movies - - - you know the one’s that always have a conflict in the beginning, but by the end of the movie get wrapped up in a nice red bow?!?! I love doing all the cliché Christmas activities (shopping for gifts, having parties, BAKING!!!) I mean the entire month is just pure joy! But can I tell you what my least favorite part of the season is?? The FOOD!!! OK, let’s be clear... I love the food, but I hate that most of it is not necessarily the best when you’re trying to make good and healthy choices. That said, I always end up either being too strict on myself and not experiencing any yummy treats at all OR having zero self-control and eating everything not strapped to the table. Can we talk about no balance??
This year, I am setting a few smaller easy to achieve goals ahead of time so I can have a game plan going in. I feel like if you make a plan ahead of time, it’s easy to overcome almost anything that comes your way.
The first thing I’m going to do is allow myself to have a little fun, but in moderation. Meaning, if I am at a get together, or at my parents’ house and they have something that is rich in taste…. and calories, instead of eating a full serving, I am only going to have a small bit. This allows me to not deprive myself but still be able to enjoy some of the food, which results in staying more in that middle area I was talking about earlier as opposed to too far right, or too far left.
The next thing I’m going to do is contribute more! So, I know that sounds like more work, and technically it is… but I think it’s a little work on the front end that gives full benefit on the back end!! So, for me what that looks like is getting more involved in some of the ground work when menus are being decided. This mainly applies to family and close friend gatherings. So when my mom says I am in charge of bringing a dish, I will just go out of my way to make sure I am making a recipe that is both tasty and “healthied” up. See example below of this tasty chicken pot pie recipeI tried last week. I followed this recipe step by step (well except I made mine in heart shaped ramekins!! LOL) and it turned out absolutely AMAZING! They were so good my husband didn’t even know they were healthy!
However, If it’s not close friends/family and it isn’t a situation that is conducive to me bringing an actual dish, I am going to still try to keep portions extremely small, and stick to lower carb/higher protein friendly options (think Charcuterie Board).
The last thing I am going to do is really try to hold myself accountable. For example, if I have an event on Saturday, and I know for a fact there is going to be some questionable food…. during the week leading up to the event I am going to make every effort I can to make good choices. Making “good choices” means so many different things to different people. For me, it means trying to get some type of work out in every day. Maybe that’s walking on the treadmill or perhaps taking your favorite yoga class. Honestly, it really doesn’t matter what exactly you do as long as you are MOVING. I also try to eat low carb, and will try to skip any alcohol beverages. During the week (this is by far the hardest for me!!!) Again, just anything that will help cut down on my overall caloric intake. Oh, and don’t forget to meal prep, and absolutely NO EATING OUT!!
SO anywho… just try to practice moderation, but don’t forget to have fun too. No one wants to be that girl at a dinner party only eating a slice of cucumber because she’s on a diet (insert eyeroll)!
XOXO, MRS. ALL PINK EVERYTHING