By Eliza Short, Communications Coordinator for Jackson In Action
The holidays are here and all the hustle and bustle means there’s little time to cook meals at home. Let’s take a look at strategies for making the most out of holiday eating away from home.
Healthy Eating while Dining Out
Living in a fast-paced society may cause one to spend more money eating out than buying food to make at home. However, this growing trend towards convenience foods may in turn have a negative effect on our health. Restaurant and fast-food meals can be higher in calories and sodium, and when a sugar-sweetened beverage is added to the mix, higher in sugar too. In addition, fruits and vegetables are often absent or in very small quantities in meals. Practice these tips when eating out next, in order to help maintain weight.
Mindful Ordering:
1. Order smaller portions, or ask for a box with the meal to take half to-go
2. Split a dinner with a friend
3. Ask to add more vegetables to a dish
4. Look for words such as: broiled, blackened, baked, or grilled
5. Avoid words such as: fried, breaded, battered, or crispy
6. Look for the words diet or unsweetened when ordering drinks, or stick to water
7. Create a game plan before you go to the restaurant- take time to think about what you may order or look up the menu online
Mindful Eating:
1. Use chopsticks to slow down your eating
2. Start your meal with a garden salad
3. Drink water between bites of food
4. Go easy on the chips and bread- take what you would like and push the basket away
5. Taste food before salting, or try spices such as red pepper flakes or black pepper
Photo credit: http://www.freestockphotos.biz/stockphoto/9083
New Year, Healthy Living Program:
As the New Year approaches, the focus on slimming down begins. This year why not take a simple and positive approach by making tiny steps that can add up to big returns. Just moving 15 minutes more per day can result in a 10-12 lb. weight reduction in a year. For more ideas on healthy lifestyle changes, Black River Memorial Hospital will be offering an 11-Week group program called B WELLthy that includes cooking demos, weight management techniques, wellness topics, stress management, and more. Nutrition and fitness experts from BRMH will be presenting the program. B WELLthy begins January 21 – March 31. For more information contact Ruth at 715-284-1348 or visit www.brmh.net for program fees and enrollment.