Holidays in the Philippines are a grand time for everyone. Excitement is in the air, people shuffling about doing last-minute gift shopping, and dining tables are stuffed with every food possible. It’s a fact that *most* forms of diet go out the window every Noche Buena and Media Noche where you tell yourself all sorts of excuses so you can digest that liempo easily. But you don’t have to be so guilty. Here are 8 tips on eating healthy during the holidays.
Plan your holiday
Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” and this applies to everything in life. Will you be hitting up multiple Christmas parties this year? Remember to eat protein-rich food or snack bars before arriving at the party — that way you won’t get there famished so you won’t overeat. You should also plan your exercise schedule even on the holidays because you might work hard but those calories can work harder.
Look for healthy swaps
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Instead of just gorging on whatever’s on the table, you should consider (1) making your own meals this year so you can keep an eye on your calorie counter or (2) swapping a few snacks and meals with healthier options. Instead of reaching for that merry 6-inch milk chocolate bar, go for dark chocolate squares. Check out Coco Dolce’s Dark Chocolate Chili or Theo and Philo’s 90% Dark Chocolate. That juicy crispy pata could be swapped for vegetarian lasagna. You could even maybe switch that crispy lechon for roasted chicken (without the skin, please). Eating healthy during the holidays is the best way to celebrate the season.
Don’t be shy, go green
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A Pinoy holiday feast often looks like this: lechon, crispy pata, ham, spaghetti, fried chicken, and the list goes on. You know the deal by now. The unhealthier it is, the better for the holidays because “minsan lang naman.” But sometimes a taste of the forbidden could push you down the hole of unhealthy eating. Don’t be conscious about whipping up your own green veggie meals. Take their lechon and raise it with your Caesar salad. Your DIY all-natural smoothie from Greens and Beyond is better than their bacon breakfasts. Let them gorge on lasagna and pizza while you enjoy your low-carb high protein meal. Doing so isn’t depriving yourself of good things, it’s taking care of your body.
Stay active
Since the holidays are also known for making resolutions, why not get ahead of the new year and stay active? You don’t have to go full-on cardio HIIT session every time you so much as glance at a piece of cake. You can just take it slow with simple but effective exercises using resistance bands and jump ropes. What matters is you keep moving because those calories know how to chase you down. You can even get creative — go for a walk instead of hopping on a treadmill, run around with your pamangkins instead of staying on the couch.
Pairing your fitness goals with the right fitness partner
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Fitness doesn’t just mean 8-pack abs and spending 20 minutes on the treadmill without breaking a sweat. It means taking care of yourself and doing whatever works to match your body and lifestyle. Whether you prefer heavy or chill exercises, you can still stay fit. Customize your workouts with something that can fit your body’s needs like the delicious all-new Del Monte Fit ’n Right. Each bottle is a low‑calorie juice drink that can help support your fitness goals – whether you want to detoxify your body, burn fat, or control your eating.
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Before exercising, try the Fit ’n Right Burn (Pineapple, Four Seasons, Apple) that contains 900 mg L-Carnitine which “may help reduce fat.” In between meals, the Fit ’n Right Ctrl (Orange Pomegranate, Pineapple Passionfruit) with its 12g of Litesse “may help make you feel full longer.” And finally, the Fit ’n Right Detox (Apple Cucumber), which you can drink every morning or night, has 500mg of Curcumin C3 Complex that “may help detoxify the body.”
Track your calories
The beauty of technology is that the right gadget can track every single thing about you, turn it into data, and help you understand yourself. If you don’t have a wearable (smart rings, smartwatches, fitness trackers), you can always go the “old fashioned” way and download a calorie tracker app like Lose It! or FatSecret. This is a great step for visual learners who prefer seeing their stats. Tracking your intake — yes, even glasses of wine — will let you see if you’re overeating and where you need to tweak your diet.
Practice mindful eating
Since the holidays mostly mean stuffing your face with meals and snacks left and right, practicing mindful eating is great advice. Mindful eating requires you to focus solely on eating instead of multitasking. Skip the screens, slow down and feel every chew, appreciate the taste of your meal. Mindful eating might not count your calories but it will surely let you watch what you eat.
Lastly, go easy on yourself!
It’s the holidays after all. There’s no need to beat yourself up for giving in and taking a huge chunk of leche flan or having your second serving of creamy lasagna. Being too strict with yourself might just result in stress and resentment. And if you really have to taste everything on the table, you can always have it in portions! Remember that you can always pick up your fitness journey tomorrow if you fail today. But that being said, be an adult about missing exercises and owning up to your responsibility.
What’s your best tip for eating healthy during the holidays? Share it with us below!
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