1. Don’t starve yourself. Eat your other meals and snacks before the “big meal” so that you’re not walking into the situation hungry.
2. Use the plate method of portion control: ¼ plate turkey, ¼ plate starch (potato, corn, bread, etc.), and ½ plate vegetables. Learn more at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/.
3. Increase the amount of non-starchy vegetables at the meal. Serve a salad beforehand, or have some baked or lightly sautéed vegetables (green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, greens, etc.).
4. If you are hosting, have healthy, low-calorie appetizers like veggies and lowfat dip, stuffed mushrooms, shrimp and cocktail sauce, or fruit.
5. Limit the alcohol. 1 drink can have 100-200 calories and make you want to eat more.
6. Try a new healthy recipe this year. Cooking Light is a great resource for recipes.
7. Eat your meal slowly. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to recognize you are full.
8. Go for a walk after the “big meal.”
9. Don’t hang out around the appetizer table; mingle instead.
10. Make healthy modifications to your favorite high calorie recipes. See ideas for how to substitute and limit the fat and sugar content of your recipes at http://www.familyatheart.org/foods/recipes.asp.
