Sarah Mouritz, student dietitian at Curtin University
It’s Christmas - a time to eat, drink and be merry! While you might be looking forward to munching on some delicious food over the festive season, chances are you’re not so thrilled by the prospect of the post-meal food coma. We’ve put together our top six tips to help you get the balance right.
Fruity desserts
Including fruit in your dessert will not only add colour and flavour, it will also make your sweet treats more nutritious. Fruit is high in fibre, keeping you fuller for longer. Need some ideas? Check out our apple puddings with cinnamon custard, honey pannacotta with tropical fruit salsa or apple and peach pie.
Snooze the booze
Energy from alcohol can add up quickly, just two 375mL cans of full-strength beer contains 1160kJ. To put that in perspective, that’s roughly the same amount of energy that you would get from eating a 50g bar of chocolate. If you choose to drink, take note of how much you are drinking and space out your alcohol by having a glass of water between each drink.
Festive water
Keep jugs of water with ice on the table to prompt everyone to drink more water - fancy them up by making fruit ice cubes or add strawberry and mint to be extra festive!
Move throughout the day
Get outside and play games with friends and family. Backyard cricket, Frisbee at the park or a stroll along the beach are all great options. Don’t forget your hat, sunscreen and shades! Not only will getting active help overcome the post-Christmas lunch sleepiness, it’s also a great opportunity to catch up and have old fashioned fun with loved ones.
Choose more veg
To stop you over-indulging, fill half your plate with vegetables or add a side of salad. Eat your salad and vegetables first as these are high in nutrients and low in energy.
Mind over munch
It’s Christmas day, it’s okay to have a few treats, but be mindful of the amount you are eating. Eat what you actually want, not everything in sight. You’ll feel better for it. Find our top tips on eating mindfully here.
Don’t forget, a day of festive eating is okay but don’t let the Christmas overindulgence last for the whole month!
Want more ideas for a LiveLighter Christmas? Check out Happy Holiday Hosting, Avoiding the Christmas Bulge or download our LiveLighter Christmas factsheet.
This blog article was originally published on LiveLighter.