5 Tips To Stay on Track at Parties
With the holidays comes a lot of events and parties, and with that, food and drinks come hand in hand. Here are our top 5 RevolutioniZe nutritionist approved tips for party success!
1. Bring a healthy dish, appetizer or dessert
Not only does this help take some of the cooking burden off of the hostess, it allows you to have at least one healthy choice! By bringing a healthy option, you are helping others make good choices while keeping yourself on track. Some good ideas are veggie or fruit platters with hummus or greek yogurt dip, shrimp cocktail, deli coldcut platters with healthy options like low sodium turkey and reduced fat cheeses, a big salad or soup, etc.
2. Don’t go starving!
You will set yourself up for overindulging if you arrive to an event on a completely empty stomach. You don’t want to arrive stuffed, but having something small an hour or so before like a protein shake, some egg whites, etc., helps you make better decisions and ensures that if there is not any healthy options you don’t go hungry for that long.
3. Drink smart
Alcohol is definitely a “belly buster”! If you want to drink, practice moderation and space out your drinks smartly, with big glasses of water in between. Some good choices are champagne, wine, light beer, vodka with club soda, or silver tequila. Stay away from mixers with lots of carbs and sugars.
4. Know your triggers
If you know that chips and salsa is your weakness, opt for a healthier alternative! If you can’t just have one small piece of cake, don’t try to make it fit. Substitute these trigger foods for a healthier option to make sure you don’t binge in a moment of weakness. One of the most popular chip swaps are Quest Protein Chips, as they are high in protein and will help you feel full and satisfied upon eating them. Another popular swap for something sweet for dessert, is a blend of plain nonfat greek yogurt and vanilla (or any flavor) protein powder with a pinch of stevia for some extra sweetness. Top with a little whipped cream and BOOM! Now you have a sweet, high protein dessert that will have you feeling satiated.
5. Listen to your body
It can be tempting to “Eat just to eat” around this time of year. If you’ve had a good portion of healthy, macro-friendly food and you’re truly full, do not eat just because the food is there. Similarly, if you are truly hungry, there is no need to starve yourself, just make the right choice! Sometimes when we are hungry we have clouded judgement and want to reach for those high-fat, high-carb foods, but try to recognize that the most filling, healthiest options will most likely be those low-fat/carb high volume veggies and lean proteins!