Tame Your Party-Circuit Bingling

The holiday-party beat can lead to unwanted weight gain, sugar crashes and anxiety about eating poorly, none of which is very merry. Here’s how to eat well and truly enjoy all the deliciousness of the season.

- Karen Robock

THIS TIME OF YEAR IS A MINEFIELD OF health saboteurs, and eating well can be the first thing to go. Even the most dedicated health foodie can watch all of her nutrition goals get tossed out the window as fast as she can say “Happy holidays!” All it takes is a few too many turns at the office-party buffet, an extra pass at the hors d’oeuvres at the friends-like-family soirée or a second helping (with everything and anything carb- and sugar-loaded) at the New Year’s Eve dinner.

If you’re making poor food choices, overeating out of habit (after all, that’s what we’re supposed to do at a holiday buffet, right?) or overindulging because you’re simply losing track of portions due to all the excitement, conversation or a few too many cocktails, you may want to reframe how you approach holiday-party fare.

“Think about your values and what’s important to you over the holidays and put food in the overall context of the whole celebration,” says Pamela Fergusson, a registered dietitian in Nelson, BC. In other words, you can avoid overdoing it on rich meals and desserts just because they’re available if you keep it all in perspective. And what you do indulge in should be pleasurable. “Think ‘Is this something that will make me feel joyful?’ or ‘Am I going to feel good about eating this?’” she says. If not, let that party platter pass you by.

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when you navigate the buffet table and cocktail-party circuit this holiday season.

LET GO OF GUILT