Since we’re entering that time of year where food and festivities are plentiful, we thought it we’d offer a Holiday Food Survival Guide for our members. Even the best training can be undone by a bad diet. So with that we’ll kick things off with the first in what will be a short series of articles about Holiday eating.

[This post is written by Doretta Gaudrea – Nutritional Consultant at Athletic Lab]

The North Carolina State Fair is here!!!

And so is the Holiday Food Season. The next few months are going to be filled with parties, family gatherings and a lot of not so healthy, but oh so yummy food. This is the first installment of a series of blogs meant to help you navigate your way through the Holiday Food Season without totally missing out on all the good bad foods.

Fried oreos, ice cream, gigantic turkey legs, all the sweets you can imagine and then some are part of what makes the fair so much fun. Half the reason you go is for the food. If you are trying to loose weight and or eat healthy, the fair is not going to make it easy, but just because you are trying to be healthier doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the fun. Here are some diet survival tips for eating at the fair:

  • Limit yourself to one meal and one snack while there. For example, if you are going for the day, eat breakfast at home, lunch at the fair, a small snack after lunch, then dinner at home
  • Eat a larger breakfast before going to the fair so you are not hungry when you get there, for example have eggs with whole grain toast and a cup of fruit. This will keep you satisfied until lunch time and give you energy to walk around and enjoy the fair
  • Go through all the vendors before choosing where to eat, then choose the ONE food item that you most desire instead of trying several different indulgences
  • WALK as much as possible. You will already be doing a lot of walking, but if you have a choice between taking a shuttle from the parking area and walking, WALK. This exercise will help to burn off some of the extra calories you consume.
  • Bring a water bottle. You will probably get thirsty so instead of drinking a sugary drink such as soda, bring your own water. It’s HEALTHY and FREE!
  • Bring your own healthy snack such as an apple or banana, these fit easily into a bag and require no preparation. This will also help prevent you from eating more than one meal and one snack while there
  • If you’re not hungry, DON’T EAT!!! It is easy to eat because it smells good or because it’s just there, in front of you, begging to be eaten, but listen to your body. If you are not hungry then don’t eat.
  • If you know you are going to indulge while at the fair, make sure the rest of your meals for that week are healthy

Moderation is key when it comes to food. You don’t have to miss out on all the yummy “bad” foods, just remember not to over do it.

Happy Eating :)