Small ways to get your eating on track after the festive season

During the festive period, if you have over-indulged, you are not alone. You are also not alone in starting the year wanting to get back on track. However, many people give up and often it’s because they try to do too much at once which can feel like torture. One way to see it through is to get a plan.

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Breakfast 

Start the day with something filling that will keep you going and won’t leave you feeling deprived. For some, a bowl of porridge is the ultimate comfort food, made with skimmed milk and a handful of raisins or prunes thrown in for sweetness; for others, this is nothing but a punishment! For those who love it, you carry on. This is a great breakfast and will do you no end of good.

If you would have to force down porridge, then fear not - other great breakfasts are not too calorific and do a good job of keeping you full. A couple of boiled eggs and a slice of granary toast (easy on the butter) is often a breakfast reserved for lazy weekend brunch, but try making time for it before work. Eggs are full of protein and important vitamins and minerals, plus evidence shows that people who eat two eggs for breakfast, eat fewer calories throughout the day.

If you don’t think either option will work for you, stick to high-fibre cereals such as bran flakes, shredded wheat, Weetabix or fruit & fibre. Top with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk and add some sliced or dried fruit. If toast is your thing, have a scraping of spread and have a topping such as marmite or a little peanut butter.

Lunch

Lunch can be a killer if you have to buy it at work every day. A simple cheese and onion sandwich can contain up to 600kcals depending where you get it. Soup is a great lunch. It’s filling, comes in hundreds of flavours, is readily available in supermarkets and can fit nicely into your calorie budget. Beware of the cream-of versions though. If possible buy your soup from somewhere that lets you know what is in it and how many calories it contains. It’s super easy to make a big batch at home and freeze it in portions to take to work to heat in the microwave, and there are a million recipes to be found online.

If soup doesn’t hit your comfort spot, you could try sushi, filling whole grain salads such as couscous or bean, or pitta pockets with low-calorie fillings like tuna or salad (easy on the mayo and dressings).

Evening meal

It’s easy to get into bad habits over Christmas and New Year like drinking every day and eating your way through the leftover chocolate. Try having a couple of days off the sauce each week, preferably consecutive days. If you have been drinking over the festive season, the chances are your liver has a backlog to get through and if you don’t give it time to clear it, the alcohol can cause scarring i.e. cirrhosis.

In terms of eating, planning is the best way to ensure you have easy, healthy options for dinner and don’t reach for the takeaway menu. Plan what you’re going to eat each day before you go to the supermarket. Go for things that are filling but not too calorific: chicken, fish, lean meat, beans, lentils, pulses, vegetables, rice, pasta and potatoes. Try to stay away from full-fat creamy or cheesy sauces and go for tomato-based ones instead. If you’re buying ready-made, check the labels to see which are best. If you cook from scratch, limit the oil or fat to one teaspoon per person for the whole meal (whatever the recipe says!). If you’re a pudding person, try looking for the lower-calorie options. Instead of ice cream, try frozen yogurt or sorbet; fruit salad; meringue and berries; baked apple; or low-calorie chocolate mousse. Instead of cream try half-fat crème fraiche or fat-free Greek yogurt.

Between meals

For snacks throughout the day, try to limit them to about 100kcals such as a muesli bar, a pot of low-calorie yoghurt, a piece of fruit, a portion of light cheese and a couple of oat biscuits.

But remember; if you want to lose any weight you have gained over Christmas, you’ll need to reduce your calorie intake by a few hundred. However, it is important not to go below 1200kcals a day without the supervision of a specialist. Also, remember that slow & steady wins the race: gradual weight loss is more sustainable than rapid.

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The views expressed in this article are those of the author. All articles published on Nutritionist Resource are reviewed by our editorial team.

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London W1G & EC1V
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Written by Jo Travers, BSc RD (The London Nutritionist)
location_on London W1G & EC1V

Jo Travers, is a Registered Dietitian with a First Class BSc (Hons) in Human Nutrition & Dietetics. She has been in private practice for ten years, and consults for the BBC and Channel 4 (more often than not as the voice of reason when the latest outlandish food story hits the news).
She is also a spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association.

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