During the holidays it can be tricky to eat a healthy and balanced diet. There are a lot of temptations, and sometimes we eat more for the conviviality more than for the hunger. Here are some tips to get you through this period lightly, while enjoying reuniting you’re your friends and family.
Drink at least 2 litres of water:
It is easy to think about drinking enough water when we are in our usual routine. When we are traveling, we forget about it, and we sometimes consume drinks with a high sugar content, such as fruit juices or soda. As we are socialising more, we often drink more alcohol than usual. Remembering to drink at least 2 litres of water a day allows you to stay well hydrated, and to be less tempted by these drinks. To avoid drinking too much alcohol during meals, always have a full glass of water on hand. Drink water for thirst, and savour your glass of wine for pleasure!
Eat vegetables with every meal:
Eating vegetables with every meal helps limit the intake of other foods and keep our diets high in fiber, which helps us keep off weight. First, because while you are eating vegetables you are not eating anything else, and secondly because they are high in fibre. Without necessarily depriving yourself of other foods, consuming enough fibre helps prevent being hungry again 2 hours after a meal, and eating unhealthy snacks in the afternoon.
Eat fruits for desserts
Especially in summer, fruits are very tasty and perfect for dessert on their own. They contain a lot of water, which helps to stay well hydrated. Choose fruit salads, in which you can simply add a lemon juice to enhance the taste.
Happy hours: Less salty food more vegetables:
When the weather is hot, you may want to eat more salt. Avoid foods that are too salty before a meal, like during happy hours for example (appetizer cakes, sausages and others). Regardless of the possible consequences for your blood pressure, salt whets your appetite. Prefer "dips" (vegetables that are dipped in different sauces), or small appetizer toasts, prepared with mashed vegetables or fish.
Move it!
During the holidays, either because our schedule is disrupted or because we are not at home, we no longer go to our usual gym classes. Continue to maintain good physical activity. Get moving during the day, walk to the supermarket, take the stairs, take a digestive walk after a meal. Holidays can also be an opportunity to try new sports, do family activities, and even discover new passions!
At the restaurant :
Sometimes it is difficult to know what to choose to eat healthy in a restaurant. Here are some simple rules that are good to follow:
- Avoid anything that is fried. Restaurants sometimes use more fat for cooking, so that their food tastes better. Prefer anything that is grilled and steamed.
- Be careful with salads, because they often lack fibre and are sometimes high in fat. Sometimes it is better to eat fish with vegetables.
- Order veggies, no matter what you eat on the side, and order veggies you like. There's no point ordering things you won't eat, you'll just be hungry 2 hours later, and you might fall for an ice cream or a donut.