Healthy Eating During The
Holidays
Bridget Sullivan, RD
What Is A Registered Dietitian?
• A health professional who is a food and
nutrition expert
• Studied at a American Dietetic Association
(ADA) approved college
• Completed 900 hours of supervised
practical experience
• Passed a written national registration exam
Overview
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What Is A Healthy Diet?
What Is The Correct Portion Size?
Navigating Holiday Parties
Tips For Home & Restaurants
Fun Alternate Activities
Question & Answer
What Is A Healthy Diet?
• Incorporates a variety of foods-fruits,
vegetables, grains, dairy, fat and protein
• No Healthy Diet Excludes Foods!!
– I.e. excluding carbs, dairy, fruit, sugar
• All Foods Can Fit
• Modeled on the Dietary Guidelines For
Americans
What Are The Dietary
Guidelines?
• Published by United States Department of
Agriculture as a Gold Standard for nutrition
• Give appropriate servings and percentage of
calories for adult diets
– Fruits
– Vegetables
– Dairy
– Grains
– Fat
– Saturated Fat
What Are The Dietary
Guidelines?
• 5-9 Servings of Fruit & Vegetables
• 3 Servings of Dairy
• 6 Servings of Grain
– 1/2 (3) servings whole grain
What Makes Up A Healthy Meal?
• A healthy meal has a representative from 3
food groups
• A healthy snack has a representative from 2
food groups
What Is A Serving Size?
• Fruit
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1 medium size fruit
1/2 cup canned fruit
3/4 cup juice (6 oz.)
1/4 cup dried fruit
What Is A Serving Size?
• Vegetables
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1/2 cup cooked vegetables
1/2 cup legumes
3/4 cup (6 oz) vegetable juice
1 cup raw, leafy greens
What Is A Serving Size?
• Dairy
– 8 oz. Milk or yogurt
– 1 - 1 1/2 oz. Natural cheese (I.e. cheddar,
mozzarella)
What Is A Serving Size?
• Grains
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1 slice of bread
1/2 cup whole grain cereal
1/2 english muffin
1/4 typical bagel (Dunkin Donuts size)
1/2 cup pasta or rice
10 chips**
How Can I Estimate A Serving
Size?
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3 oz meat: deck of cards or bar of soap
1 1/2 oz. Cheese: size of 4 dice
medium potato: size of a computer mouse
1/2 cup of rice or pasta: size of a baseball or small
fist
• 2 TB peanut butter: size of a ping pong ball
• Average bagel: size of a hockey puck
Nutritionally Navigating
Holiday Parties
• Pre-Party Tips
– If you are going to an evening party, have a
lighter lunch
– Have a snack before you go
– Take a walk / do something active during the
day
Nutritionally Navigating Holiday
Parties
• Once you’re there…
– Alternate drinks with water or a caloriefree beverage
– When choosing appetizers, put together
a plate of items, don’t graze
– Stand away from the buffet table
– Less processed items are generally
healthier choices (I.e. veggies and dip
vs. pigs in a blanket)
Appetizer Choices
Choose…
• Vegetable Crudite-6 pieces
w/ 2 TB dip: 45 calories
• Shrimp Cocktail-2 pieces:
34 calories
• Oysters On the Half Shell
(6): 50 calories
• Tomoto Bruschetta-1
large: 94 calories
Limit…
• Pigs In A Blanket-2
mini: 170 calories
• Cheese & Crackers--2
oz. Cheese 4 crackers:
270 calories
• Potato chips w/ 2 TB
onion dip: 240 calories
Entrée Choices
Choose…
• Grilled Chicken or
Fish--3 oz.: 90-140
calories
• Roast beef--3 oz.: 150
calories
• 1 cup Pasta
Primavera:190
calories
Limit…
• Seafood Neuberg--1
cup: 700 calories
• Chicken Pot Pie: 480
calories
• Pasta Alfredo-1 cup:
550 calories
Side Choices
Choose…
• Vegetables!- 1/2 c. cooked
=25 calories
• Pasta or Rice- 1/2 cup
cooked =200 calories
• Vegetable or legume based
salads
• Sweet or baked potatoes
1/2 medium:140 calories
Limit…
• Fried Potatoes--200
calories small size
• Macaroni & cheese-1/2 cup: 180 calories
• Creamed vegetables-170 cal for 1/2 cup
Dessert
Choose…
• Candy cane-75 calories
• Hot Chocolate w/ skim
milk-140 calories
• Fruit cobbler--230 calories
(plus a fruit serving!)
• Mini chocolate bars-2 150
calories
• Christmas cookies-2
medium 175 calories
Limit…
• Double crusted pie--550
calories/slice
• Pecan pie-453 calories
• Chocolate layer cake-470
calories
• Egg nog-1 cup-343
calories
• **if you can’t pass it up,
split it with a friend &
split the calories!**
What Does A Healthy Plate Look
Like?
• 1/2 vegetables
• 1/4 grain
• 1/4 protein
Ideas For Healthy Eating
On The Run
• Take fruit and a granola bar for a quick
healthy snack while shopping
• Cut up fruits and vegetables when you get
home from the store to have a quick
assemble snack or meal ready any time
• Think ahead--planning out meals can help
avoid last-minute unhealthy decisions
Healthy Tips When Eating In
Restaurants
• Order an appetizer as a main meal--typical entrees
are 2-4 times an average serving size
• Split an entrée with a friend
• Ask for 1/2 of the entrée to be packed up before
brought to the table
• Look for entrees with “broiled” “grilled” or
“baked” in the name
• Ask for double the vegetables instead of startch
Tips For Creating Healthier
Foods When You’re The Chef
Recipe Calls For…
• 1 whole egg
• Milk
• Ice Cream
• Heavy cream (not
whipping)
• Cheese
Use…
• 2 egg whites
• Skim or 1%
• Frozen yogurt
• 2 TB flour whisked w/
2 cups skim milk
• Low-fat cheese
Don’t Forget To Move!
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20 minutes snow shoveling: 200 calories
2 hours shopping: 280 calories
30 minutes ice skating: 150 calories
1 hour cleaning: 175 calories
Walking 30 minutes, 3mph: 129 calories
A Few Other Reminders…
• Focus on weight maintenance vs. weight
loss
• Plan on NOT dieting after the New Year.
Anticipation of food restriction sets you up
for binge-type eating over the holidays
(“after all, if I’m never going let myself eat
this again after Jan. 1st, I might as well eat
as much as possible now!”)
A Few Other Reminders…
• One meal of indulgence does not mean
you’ve “blown it” for the whole day!
• If you are not hungry, pass on second
helpings!
• Focus on family and friends…reconnecting
is a big part of the holiday season
Your Questions?