Wanna stay slim during the
holidays? We hear ya, that’s why we chatted up celeb nutritionist Christine
Avanti to snag her best eat-right tips for the soiree season. She wrote the
book
Skinny Chicks Don’t Eat Salad (cute, no?) and shared her fab insights on
how to handle the barrage of food comin’ at ya during the holidays.
Go dark.
Calling all cocoa-lovers. “If you are a chocolate lover and you need the real
thing, opt for dark chocolate. It has less fat than milk chocolate and contains
more antioxidants than blueberries,” Christine swears. Pretty cool, right?
Plate up right.
Avoid the leaning tower of turkey and ham. She suggests avoiding the endless
buffet line by making only one trip to the food table. When you get there, use
a smaller plate to avoid going overboard.
Avoid going nuts.
Sure, nuts are healthy. But when it comes to the appetizers, olives are
actually a better choice. “Two ounces of olives is only 57 calories compared to
two ounces of nuts at 336 calories,” Chistine tells us. Plus, olives are so
tasty.
Drink yummy tea.
A mug of the hot stuff can give you a dash of rich flavor and anti-oxidants,
without all the sugar and fat of cake. “Check out fabulous dessert teas by Tea
Forte Dolce Vita collection of dessert teas with flavors like Chocolate Truffle
and Belgian Mint,” she says. Sounds delish to us.
Gulp more water.
Parties mean a slew of sweet beverages—egg nog, cocoa, peppermint lattes,
mulled cider. Avoid indulging at every turn by sipping water instead. It’ll
keep you hydrated and ensure you’ve got energy to make it through the party.
Pick the colorful stuff.
Stuck between potatoes? Christine says to go for sweet ones over the mashed
option—they have more vitamins. Dress them up with some cinnamon instead of a
pile of butter.
Don’t like it? Don’t eat it.
The holidays are filled with traditional foods that we all feel obligated to
eat. Her advice? “Don’t waste calories on foods you don’t like or foods you can
eat any time of year.” It can be hard to say “no thanks” to classic cuisine but
if it’s not your thing, it’s prob not worth it.