The holiday means merrymaking and this also means filling up your plate with your favorite delicacy which is not exactly healthy, it’s quite tempting to go for more of unhealthy foods during the festive period especially when there are parties to attend, and frankly skipping meals would not necessarily help you lose weight but rather cause you to eat more and gain more weight.
Can gaining weight be prevented during the holidays? This can definitely be avoided, what you eat should first be taking care of and 6 healthy foods have been carefully listed for you below.
You should also stick to a reasonable size portion regardless of how healthy the food is, ensure to keep track of your calory to prevent overeating.
The Best Foods to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain
The holidays are not a license to overeat hence you have a small plate to easily maintain a healthy portion size, the foods listed below are not only low in calories but are considered beneficial to the body system.
1. Salmon
It’s the holidays and you can be sure salmon can be made into a delicious meal for an evening party, salmon is rich in omega 3 fatty acid, protein, potassium, vitamin B and selenium which are all beneficial and needed by the body, salmon is also very filling which would prevent you from overeating, it’s filled with fiber and quite delicious if te right recipe is used (1).
2. Broccoli
Broccoli is a great source of vitamins K and C, a good source of folate and it also provides potassium, fiber. Vitamin C and builds collagen, broccoli can be easily added to any meal you plan to take as it’s more of a vegetable, this would prevent excess weight loss and also help control your portion size (2).
3. Lentils
Lentils are great food for weight loss and it consists of fiber which aids the digestive system, lentils are also a remedy for constipation, you can easily have this made as dinner or breakfast but in little quantity, lentils do also have some amazing recipes to make it a fun food for the holiday (3).
4. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is another great food for the holiday and for a weight loss plan, oatmeal does contain some calories so a track of your calories should be done, oatmeals are incredibly delicious and you can also spice it up with some nutritious fruits like berries and nuts. Oats are satisfying and when it comes to weight loss, you can easily have it for dinner. Other benefits of oats include improving blood sugar and lowering cholesterol levels (4).
5. Beans
Beans are a lot like lentils and also very delicious and filling, it contains soluble and insoluble fiber which aids constipation and improves bowel movement, having beans over the holiday might be far fetched but worth it for staying healthy and also all kinds of beans are considered healthy (5).
6. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are just the perfect food for the holidays, it keeps you full longer and can be baked one of it contains 114 calories and this means you have to watch what you load with it, you can opt for good fillings like black beans, tomatoes, and bell peppers instead of cheese or sour cream (6).
The holiday is supposed to be a merry time so nothing should stop you from having fun, there are tips you could simply apply to help you properly watch what you eat and stop you from gaining those extra pounds, keeping a calory count is also recommended to avoid overeating, there are lots’ of interesting ways you can make your meal to keep it healthy and delicious.
Read more on weight loss and healthy foods:
- 7-Day Smoothie Weight Loss Diet Plan That Works
- 11 Healthy Foods That Contain Zinc
- 12 Healthy Late Night Snacks For Weight Loss
- 31 Healthy Low-Carb Foods, Vegetables, Fruits For Weight Loss
- Eat These 8 Food Combos To Lose Healthy Weight Fast
- 11 Healthy Foods to Eat For Fast Fat Loss