The NJ Police Chief Magazine Volume 23, Number 9 | Page 25

The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | November 2017
Healthy Living Tips from
HEALTHIER HOLIDAY EATING: Create a Strategy!
This holiday season can be different — with our help, you’ll enjoy the goodies and the parties, yet you
won’t feel bloated and worried about the toll on your waist and heart. Strategy — not utter denial — is the
key to success! So let’s get started:
1. Look for the stars. Take stock of your traditional holiday foods and highlight what’s naturally healthy.
For example: Turkey topped with gravy — but minus the skin — is an American Heart Association-
approved entrée. And is fish a part of your holiday tradition? Indulge!
2. Create NEW favorites. If your table groans under the weight of buttered rolls, creamed onions and
rich foods, replace one or two of those heavy hitters with a new recipe—like a platter of seasoned, roasted
winter vegetables or red lentil & brown rice cakes! Exchange a dozen cookies for low-fat meringues flecked
with mini chocolate chips. And look to the season’s harvest of cranberries, apples, pears, brussel sprouts,
pumpkin and squash for creative inspiration.
3. Practice portion control. If you can’t eliminate it or make it more healthful, plan to limit it! Put a
dollop of Grandma’s must-have giblet gravy on the side of the plate and dip your turkey in it for taste.
Enjoy half a cup of eggnog — but just on a special occasion — when it means the most to you.
4. Keep the rest lean and green. Don’t squander precious calories on a stale, store-bought cookie
during a Wednesday coffee-break! Be mindful of healthier eating amid the festivities and you’ll buy your-
self the flexibility for special indulgences.
5. Skinny it down. Transform sweet potato pie into a side dish of fr