How to entertain your family in a healthier way

It is that time of the year when we host and visit our families and friends.

This is the time to relax and enjoy ourselves, which is important for our wellbeing, but unfortunately it is also during this period that we tend to throw our clean healthy eating habits to the curb and overindulge in unhealthy food.

Registered dietitian Sylvia Masango, said: “It is possible to strike a balance between allowing yourself the odd treat here and there and overindulging in everything that is being served.”

Masango gives the following tips on how to stay healthy during the festive season:

• Make sure you eat breakfast. Skipping breakfast can make you eat more poorly through the day.

• Maintain your current weight. This is not the best time to lose weight, not when you have all the delicious festive treats at your disposal.

• Keep exercising. Stick to your exercise routine to keep yourself feeling good.

• Never skip meals. Skipping lunch to compensate for a dinner full of calories is not a good idea.

• Do not eat everything on the buffet. Choose your favourite foods in smaller portions and skip those that you do not like to avoid overeating.

• Avoid sugary foods. Limit your intake of sugary foods as they increase sugar content in your body and make you crave more rich and sugary foods.

• Stock up on veggies and fruits. Any meal should include a large portion of vegetables and fruit.

• Practice healthy cooking. Try and make your favourite dishes healthier, for example, use margarine to sauté veggies, or steam veggies and add in a bit of margarine.

• Limit your beverage intake. The non-alcoholic beverages that we drink during the day and with meals are often loaded with sugar and calories, and tend to make you want to eat more.

• Keep an eye on the alcohol. Control the amount of alcohol you drink over this season and try not to overindulge.