How to Really Enjoy Festive Food but Stay Lean 

I love the lead up and Christmas New Year with all the great get togethers and fabulous dining. But there’s a real art to enjoying the best of festive food and not getting weighed down for the New Year. Why not make this your No Diet New Year?

My tips mean you don’t need to miss out, diet between dinners or work out to balance overeating.

My tips focus on eating well at every meal, savouring and enjoying just the right amount of what you really love and skipping anything that’s not absolutely delicious.

Tip 1: Don’t leave home hungry!

These tips only work if you’re not starving! Take the edge off your appetite before an event with a light snack. Yogurts or a piece of fruit are portable and perfect for this.

Tip 2: What do you love most? I mean really love?

What are your very favourite Christmas party foods? What could you take or leave? Focus on the very best and leave the rest.

Tip 3: Just because it’s offered, doesn’t mean you want one!

Hors D’oeuvres, savouries, nibbles are a good case in point. So easy to eat, yet not all are fabulous! Which of these would you pick? Which would you skip?

Tip 4: Aim small, taste big!

It can be very satisfying to try plenty of different foods in small amounts, savouring and eating each mouthful slowly to gain maximum pleasure but leave feeling light and comfortable ready for the next event.

Tip 5: Foil that Last Supper Effect

Once upon a time festive feasting was rare. But now it starts in November and runs for a couple of months. So we can really pick and choose and it’s a good idea to pace your appetite. Food always tastes best when you are at least a little hungry.

If you know that you aren’t about to start a diet and every meal, whether eating in or eating out is going to be delicious, then it’s much much easier to eat mindfully. It also means that if you don’t end up finding what you will really enjoy, there will always be something good when you get home. 

Tip 6: Move!

This tip is not about working off the calories with exercise, that takes forever!

It’s about getting busy chatting, mixing, mingling, dancing and passing food around…. and maybe even heading for a  change of scene!

If eating is not all there is to do, it’s much easier not to accidentally find yourself eating the ordinary stuff!

Tip 7: Watch that alcohol!

Alcohol seems to undo all the best tips!

So it’s good to pace yourself… and quench your thirst with water.

Drink water but sip alcohol!

How good would it be to have a No Diet New Year!

For more tips and sample menus check out the Food Lovers Tips for Eating Out and sign up for Food Lovers News!

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