Nutrition
Healthy eating also during the Christmas holidays
Advice prepared by Ametller Origen, a partner of the BBHI in the field of nutrition.
Christmas is the time for celebrations around the table in the company of family and friends. Often these lunches and dinners tend to be more copious and, therefore, higher in calories than usual. However, although it may seem impossible, we can enjoy this festive season without losing our healthy eating habits, but there are some recommendations to bear in mind:
- It is important not to overindulge in snacks, as they are usually rich in fat and salt and are often accompanied by different types of sauces. It is not necessary to eliminate them, but we should choose low-salt options, without butter and enjoy olive oil, as well as avoiding fried foods as much as possible. So don't overdo it and keep portions small.
- Traditional dishes can form part of a healthy diet, such as meat cannelloni (farinacio and protein), seafood (protein), turkey (protein), broth with galets (farinacio) or potted meat (protein). However, it is important that we accompany these dishes with vegetables, which will give us more satiety and help us to reduce the amount we eat.
- When it comes to dessert, we ask ourselves whether we should eat nougat, wafers or marzipan. The answer is that if we eat these extras on special dates, we can enjoy them as long as we do not abuse them. Therefore, it is not advisable to eat them every day and at every meal, as they are sweets with a large amount of sugars and we should reserve them for specific dates. On other days, finish the meal with a piece of fruit or a yoghurt.
- With regard to alcoholic drinks, consumption increases during the festive season, both before, during and after meals. In the case of drinking, moderate consumption is necessary and fermented beverages such as wine, beer or cava are always better than distilled ones. However, it is important to remember that water is always the best option.