Christmas is a time for celebration with family and friends, often associated with an over-indulgence in food and drinks followed by a New-Years resolution to lose weight. Don’t lose track of your goals this season by following these tips!

  1. Add a fresh fruit to your salad: who said salads are only for vegetables? A great way to up your fruit intake and make the most of the delicious fruits available over Christmas is by adding them to your salads. Try diced mango, grilled peaches (recipe below) or orange segments to add a burst of fibre, vitamin C and antioxidants to your meal. As a rule of thumb, always aim to have at least half your plate covered with salad and vegetables.
  2. Remove the skins: the skin of chicken, turkey and pork (aka crackling) are very high in calories and saturated fats. Remove the skin before enjoying these lean proteins as part of your Christmas day spread.
  3. Move your body: Make the most of daylight savings by going for afternoon walks along the beach, taking the family to the park or even a game of backyard cricket. Finding small ways to keep active each day will help to keep you on track with your goals over the Christmas period.
  4. Avoid the ‘food guilts’: If you do happen to over-indulge, don’t beat yourself up over it or try to restrict your intake the following day to compensate. Instead, appreciate the meal for what it was –delicious, satisfying and an opportunity to bond with friends/family over a Christmas catch-up – then move on!
  5. Keep Hydrated. As the weather heats up, it can be tempting to reach for a cold sugary drink (or alcoholic beverage) to quench our thirst. But the sugar content of these drinks only makes us thirstier! Instead, try infusing water with fresh lemon slices + mint leaves, or blueberries + lime wedges and serve with ice for a cool and refreshing summer drink.
  6. If you’re drinking alcohol, drink mindfully. Choose lower calorie mixers like soda water and fresh lime or dilute your drink with soda water. Try drinking from a smaller cup and aim to have a glass of water between each drink.
  7. Most importantly, enjoy your food!

Written by our Dietitian Luca Georgiou. Look out for more Christmas tips and recipes over the coming weeks.

RECIPES

Grilled Peach and Rocket Salad (serves 8 as a side salad)

Ingredients:

4 peaches cut into quarters

Approx. 4 cups baby rocket

½ cup crumbled goat cheese or soft feta

½ cup torn fresh mint leaves

½ cup roughly chopped pistachios

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. honey

 

Method:

1.    Preheat BBQ grill to high. Place peaches, cut side down and grill for about 4 minutes, turning on all sides

2.    To make the dressing: whisk olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, salt and pepper until well combined.

3.    In a large salad bowl, toss together rocket, cheese, mint pistachios and dressing until combined. Serve grilled peaches over salad.

 

Frozen Berry Yoghurt Bark (serves 8)

Ingredients:

4 cups plain low-fat Greek yoghurt

3 cups fresh or frozen strawberries and blueberries

2 tablespoons honey (or maple syrup)

1 tablespoon roughly chopped nuts e.g. pistachios

 

Method:

  1. Line a square cake tin or large shallow container with parchment paper
  2. Mix all ingredients except for the mixed nuts in a mixing bowl, then spread onto parchment paper
  3. Sprinkle the nuts over the top and pop into the freezer to set for at least 45 minutes before eating