The LSU AgCenter’s Smart Portions program is an eight-week class designed to help individuals learn healthy lifestyle habits to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. The program uses no fads, no gimmicks – just research-based information. But can it stand up to a buffet table loaded with holiday desserts? Here is how past participants in the program plan their strategies for handling holiday eating healthfully.
“I’m going to serve myself one plate of food. Instead of having two servings of something, I’ll just have one,” said Diana Eschette. She attended Smart Portions classes in Terrebonne Parish earlier this year.
“I never leave my house hungry, and I think that’s a key factor,” said Lynette Callahan, who also attended classes in Terrebonne.
Having a healthy snack before heading to a party can keep you from overeating once you arrive.
“Whether it’s to eat out or going to someone else’s house for dinner, I’ll try to have my yogurt, fruit, cheese sticks and crackers,” Callahan said.
Callahan and Eschette each lost 40 pounds following smart portion guidelines and don’t want the holidays to disrupt their positive progress.
“When I look at the buffet of food, I’ll have to make some good choices and just have smaller portions,” Eschette said.
“Smaller portions all the time is always a good idea,” said Debbie Melvin, LSU AgCenter nutrition agent who administers the program in Terrebonne Parish. She believes portion sizes have gotten out of hand, and large plates are partly to blame.
“It’s looking like a platter instead of a plate,” Melvin said.
If your host has large plates, leave some room on it. And while Melvin said nothing is off limits, “Approach the dessert table with, in mind, your favorite dessert item that is there, and choose that one thing and savor every bite and enjoy it.”
Homemade treats are a traditional way to spread Christmas cheer, but that means you could end up receiving mounds of holiday candy and cookies. Eschette is a teacher and gets plenty of sweets from well-meaning students.
“I actually give a lot of it away. I might taste it, but I give it to friends and family,” Eschette said. “I just don’t keep it around.”
Also, make time to exercise during the holidays. It will help relieve holiday stress and work off any extra calories you may have consumed.
Also, consider making a healthy resolution. LSU AgCenter nutritionist Beth Reames suggested people resolve to eat more healthfully and move more in the New Year.
Reames said choose whole-grain products such as 100-percent whole wheat bread, brown rice or oatmeal. Eat fresh fruit or fruit canned or frozen without sugar. Steam vegetables or eat them raw. Select nonfat or low-fat dairy products and lean meat and poultry without skin.
“Lifestyle changes in your diet and physical activity is the best first choice for weight loss,” Reames said.
She offers these tips to establish a healthy relationship with food:
– Drop the diet mentality. Depriving yourself now can make you overeat later.
– Learn to recognize your body’s cues about when you are hungry and when you are full.
– Tune into your emotions. Are you using food for comfort, as a reward, as a distraction from boredom or to help resolve feelings of anger or sadness? If so, look for other ways of coping with problems instead of eating, such as taking a walk, playing with your pet or calling a friend.
– Don’t skip meals. This leads to overeating later.
– Eat food portions, not helpings. Use MyPyramid and nutrition facts information on food labels to learn serving sizes.
– Try to eat more vegetables and fruits each day. Experiment with new ways to prepare vegetables and keep cut-up veggies in the refrigerator for snacking.
Reames becoming more physically active can help you lose weight while lowering your risk of diseases.
Read more about LSU AgCenter nutrition education resources:
Smart Portions: Watch How Much You Eat
Smart Choices for Youth and Adults
Smart Bodies: A Nationally Recognized Child Wellness Program
The LSU AgCenter is one of 11 institutions of higher education in the Louisiana State University System. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, it provides educational services in every parish and conducts research that contributes to the economic development of the state. The LSU AgCenter does not grant degrees nor benefit from tuition increases. The LSU AgCenter plays an integral role in supporting agricultural industries, protecting the environment, and improving the quality of life through its 4-H youth, family and community programs.