Size Does Matter: How Not to Eat Like Santa

By: Christine Haran

When you are mingling at a holiday party within reach of the buffet table, chances are you are not thinking about your waistline. But dieticians caution that controlling your portion sizes is a key part of maintaining a healthy weight, even during the holiday season.
So rather than spend December eating mindlessly, you might try to think about how much food you actually need at a given time.

"When it comes to the whole idea of portions people need to think of food as fuel," says Cynthia Sass, a registered dietitian in private practice in Tampa, Florida and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "Ask yourself what you are going to be doing after you eat this food. If you're going to be watching TV or reading, or going right to sleep, you don't really need very many servings to meet your body's needs."

Below, Sass discusses how you stay in control of your portion sizes over the holidays, and during the rest of the year.


Why can the holiday season be a challenge for people trying to control portions?
There is research to show that the more food there is around you, the more food you will probably eat. There are also a lot of holiday parties that revolve around food. And people often give foods as gifts during the holidays that we may feel obligated to eat.

For some people, the holidays are a joyous, happy time of year. But for others, it is a really tough time of year. The holidays may stir up emotions in people who are away from their family or for family members who have passed away. But whether people are feeling joyous or depressed, they tend to eat more during the holidays.

Do you have any guidelines for holiday parties?
You have to keep your awareness level high, because a lot of people do mindless eating at parties. You might want to scan everything first and think about what you really want. If there are a few items that are favorites of yours, make those your splurge items, and then work the rest of your plate around that. So let's say it's a buffet. You might choose one higher-calorie, higher-fat or higher-carb food, such as stuffed mushroom with sausage, then try to choose from the vegetable tray or fruit salad. Or bring a dish yourself that you know will help balance out a lot of the higher-calorie foods that tend to be at these parties. Or you can eat beforehand.

What we generally say is that a great balance is a plate where about half of your plate is covered with fruits and veggies, about a quarter is covered with protein, and about a quarter covered with starches or carbs.

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