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How to be a Healthy Host or Hostess Over the Holidays

If you are hosting a holiday event, you are inviting people into your home to share and celebrate. If you are trying to eat cleaner, chances are people in your ring of friendship are as well. If not, then this is your chance to show people how delicious healthy eating can really be! When hosting an event or celebration, here are some tips to help yourself with your own goals and to help others from overeating and gaining weight:

1. Lighten up your recipes!
2. Use fat-free broth to baste turkey and make gravy.
3. Use sugar substitute such as stevia, honey or fruit purees in place of sugar in baked goods.
4. Don’t add butter, oils, sour cream on top any dishes.
5. Use plain yogurt, fat free sour cream, or skim milk in dips, mashed potatoes and casseroles.
6. Don’t place food all over the house. Keep the food in one central location, like the dining room or kitchen, instead of having bowls of candy, nuts, chips or crackers around the home.
7. Don’t have food available all day. Keep the kitchen hours to specific times. This prevents you and others from snacking on unhealthy appetizers all day long. Make planned healthy snacks for throughout the day.
8. Have calorie free drinks available.
9. Don’t self sabotage yourself by serving only fat-filled, sugary, foods.
10. Try some new healthy eating recipes.
11. Encourage activity. Plan a walk, football game, basketball game, wii, charades, or other fun activity to burn some calories!

 “Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.”  ~Theodore Roosevelt