How not to overeat during the holidays? Great tips from Vaida Kurpienė

You don’t sit at the table hungry

According to V. Kurpienė, trying to “save” calories without eating all day is one of the most common mistakes. After fasting all day, when the family sits at the festive table in the evening, it is impossible not to overeat. Start sweeping meals off the table and consume the full daily dose in 15-20 minutes, with the whole night ahead.

Avoiding this situation is simple. “Eat at your own pace all day, starting with a hearty breakfast. Just eat a little less on Christmas Day. Before eating the main dinner, you can have a cup of hot tea or slowly eat a tangerine, enjoying a glass of the traditional blueberry kissel. They will give you an easy feeling of fullness if you are hungry. Between meals, drink tap water or low mineralized mineral water, preferably at room temperature or warmer. If you want to drink while you eat, choose a warm and slightly concentrated tea, “advises V. Kurpienė, author of the book” Lean for a Lifetime. “

Cook for one night

What rules are important when preparing a festive table so that there is not too much food and we avoid overeating?

“When preparing a 12-course table, I recommend using as little fat as possible, trying not to overcook or overcook the food. In other words, take a little shorter in the kitchen. I suggest packing whatever you need for one night and sticking around for cold snacks the next day. Too much food is often prepared, which is considered perishable for a long time. There is a desire to eat it because we avoid throwing away food and thus gain weight.

When planning a meal for a long and hearty dinner, count up to 500g per adult. This figure should include vegetable salads. Not only will it be enough, but it is likely to stay until the next day. After all, food doesn’t last long. Even when it is stored in the refrigerator, it loses value with each passing day and can be consumed for up to three days, ”emphasizes V. Kurpienė.

As many fresh vegetables as possible

Most Christmas dishes are quite healthy if prepared properly. These are fish, vegetables, mushrooms. Less valuable are cakes baked with white flour and some other dishes that contain sugar. Your dietitian doesn’t suggest giving up, he just recommends eating in moderation.

It is important not to multiply the sauces either. They are usually fatty and much higher in calories than the dish itself. After eating dishes with a greasy sauce, you will feel heavy and want to lie down instead of interacting with your loved ones. You will feel that way even the next day.

For Christmas lunch, the interlocutor suggests preparing a main dish, either meat or fish, and serving it with lots of vegetables, both fresh and sour, and cooked briefly.

“I recommend preparing several different types of colorful salads and placing them on the table. Make a salad of beets, turnips, radishes, quail dashes, carrots. Choose traditional root vegetables that have been grown in Lithuania since ancient times. With a side of vegetables, you will feel full for a long time and eat less of other products. Only the sauces should also be consumed in moderation. For example, season cole slaw with grapefruit or quince juice instead of mayonnaise and carrots with fresh orange juice. These salads will go well with poultry, ”says V. Kurpienė, author of the book“ Lean for Life ”.

Kisielius – dessert

Christmas is indispensable without dessert. “Eat dessert for dinner or lunch, not right after the main course, with a better rest. Prerequisite, enjoy each bite while eating it, eat slowly. Don’t forget that kissels are also a dessert, not a drink to consume between meals ”, recalls V. Kurpienė.

When there are many dishes on the table, the eyes want everything. Choose some dishes you want and put a small spoon on the plate to taste, eat in small bites.

The dietitian advises: “Chew well, chewing is very important and feel the full range of flavors. Don’t talk while eating. This is not only rude, but you don’t taste the food either. That way, you’ll be eating more than you should in no time. Many people follow the advice not to speak, shrugging their shoulders: “How not to communicate during the celebration”? This rule only applies when you chew. A simple tip helps beginners change their habits. When you want to join in the conversation, place your tools: a fork and a knife on the table. Only after chatting and ready to go back to enjoying food, take them in your hands. As soon as you feel full, take a break for a couple of hours before your next meal. The food will not run anywhere and you will feel better. It is best to leave the main table during the break so that the food next to it does not irritate your senses.

Focus on your loved ones, not just food

“If you think you are rewarding yourself for eating something delicious, think about whether you will be happy with that gift in the morning. When we start to make sure, we really want to do it. But when we think about whether we really love it very much and whether it really is very tasty, the situation turns out to be different ”, says the author of the page sulieknek.lt.

It is important to remember that Christmas and Christmas are not just a table full of food in abundance. First of all, it is a family vacation.

Therefore, instead of focusing on food, we should focus on the people close to us, communicating more, sharing the pleasant things, what has gone well during the year and what you plan to do next year, no matter what year. of uncertainty awaits us.

On the occasion of the upcoming holidays, V. Kurpienė wants to pay more attention to his loved ones, sincere and open communication, even from a distance, but it is important not to forget to take care of yourself. “Small changes, personal attention, and consistency work wonders without Santa’s intervention,” he smiles.