Dashing Dish

The way I see the holidays is that it’s a special time of year that is meant to be enjoyed with family and friends, while gathering around the food we share. Here are a few tips that have allowed me to enjoy the holidays in a balanced way!

1. The FIRST FEW BITES are what counts!

Have you ever noticed how a child eats a dessert? It takes them what seems to be forever to finish eating! They truly enjoy every bite! Now let’s think about how adults typically eat.  Often the treat is gone before we ever realize what we ate!  If we ever stop to consider at what point the food was is enjoyable, we would realize it is in the first few bites.  Since there are plenty of treats surrounding the holiday celebrations, go ahead and indulge a little bit, but as soon as you find yourself losing the enjoyment of the food, stop there!

2. The party is about MORE than what is on your PLATE!

Food is an element of a celebration, but not the defining factor, or the most important thing. If you keep this in mind when you’re on your way to a party, you can remind yourself that spending time with family and friends is the highlight of the event.  This helps take the focus off the food and puts it back on the things that matter most.

3. Pay attention to when you’re truly FULL, and then STOP!

One way to prevent overeating is by eating small frequent meals throughout the day. If you’re truly hungry, eat something small and rich in protein, (my personal favorite snack is a Chobani Greek yogurt). When you finally sit down to eat a meal, you will be able to properly pay attention to your body’s hunger cues! Also, try to pay attention to your body! It will tell you when it’s had enough.  If you respect what it’s telling you, you won’t have to deal with the consequences later (feeling sluggish, lethargic, overly-stuffed… all of which are sure to suck the fun out of any celebration). Remember, just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean that you won’t eat anything wonderful again.  Go ahead and pick something you enjoy, but take your time to savor it.  By eating slowly, you’ll be able know when to stop when your body says you’ve had enough.

4. It’s OK to say NO!

I have learned that I can’t let what others think or say affect how I treat my body, or what I put into it.  During the holiday, many people are offering foods left and right.  I have learned that If I’m truly full, it is ok to be  honest and politely say, “No thank you”.  As hard as it is, we don’t have to explain ourselves to people.  Even if you’re worried about people being offended, stop worrying.  It’s your body.  Most people will respect you when you politely say no. The great thing about this is, it allows you to say yes to the things you truly do enjoy this time of year!

5. BRING your OWN dish to pass!

If you bring your own dish to pass, you can bring something that is tasty and healthy! Here’s where Dashing Dish comes in…

This holiday season, I will be hosting a special event called~ DASHING DISH’S 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS~ where I will be sharing a healthy holiday recipe every other day in the month of December! These recipes will be healthier version of your favorite holiday treats, and are sure to be crowd pleasers!  I can’t wait to share some of my most beloved holiday recipes with all of you! See you all tomorrow~ (December 1st)~ for the start of this fun and exciting event!

As a way of celebrating the kick-off of this holiday event, Chobani offered to host a giveaway for me! The winner will receive a case of Chobani (12 count of assorted cup varieties) as well as a 32 oz. of 0% plain Greek yogurt for cooking and baking!

All you have to do to enter is share this announcement:

Join @DashingDish and her 12 days of Christmas – A month full of healthy holiday recipes on http://www.dashingdish.com December 1st-24th

on Twitter or Facebook (each count as a separate entry) – Be sure to @me. I will announce the winner on December 7, 2011!

So here is to the holiday season in an enjoyable, healthy, and balanced way! Also, be sure to check out My “How to Stay Healthy this Holiday Season” post over at Chobani!