by Sarah Koszyk
Happy Holidays!!  Celebrations, family get-togethers and holiday parties abound. Along with all of the festivities we need to remember to enjoy ourselves while maintaining our wonderful habits and health during the holidays. Here are ten tips to staying healthy over the holidays.

Remember to eat every 4-5 hours or have a snack in order to not skip meals or eat at irregular meal times, which can result in the risk of overeating.
Share portions when eating out at restaurants. It makes the occasion more intimate and special.
Carry appropriate snacks …

Spacing meals and snacks three to four hours apart helps keep the body fueled. Choose foods that are high in complex carbohydrate and add a small amount of protein and heart-healthy fat to stay fueled longer.
For example, snack on Ak-Mak whole wheat stone ground sesame crackers and some turkey deli slices. Four Ak-Mak crackers is one allowance of carbohydrates and an ounce slice of turkey is one allowance of very lean meat.
Ak-Maks are available at your local Trader Joe’s.

What’s for snacks? Pear and a stick of light string cheese, perhaps?

This snack is equivalent to 2 allowances of fruit and 1 allowance of lean meat.  Note that the serving size of a pear is 4 oz, which is usually half a large pear.

Since satsumas are in season, add some orange slices to your favorite fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese for a healthy snack rich in calcium, vitamin C and fiber.
Note that a serving of fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese is 1/4 cup, which is equivalent to one very lean meat allowance.   A 4-oz satsuma is equivalent to one fruit allowance, which contains 60 calories.

One of the sweetest citrus varieties, satsumas are best from October to December.

Satsumas belong to the mandarin orange family, which also includes tangerines and clementines.  They are a Japanese variety that were first introduced to the United States in Florida.  Today most American satsumas are grown in California and some in coastal Louisiana and Alabama.
Fresh satsumas are those with firm and tight peels, with no dented spots, and with bright green twigs and leaves still attached.   They will keep at room temperature for several days and a week or more …

Twenty pieces of low-fat rye mini toasts.

Yes, you read it right.  A serving size is 20 pieces, which is equivalent to one allowance of grains and starch or roughly 15 g of carbohydrates.
You can enjoy 20 crunchy and tasty toasts with some bruschetta or vegetable tapenade.  These Trader Joe’s low fat rye mini toasts are also great for soups and salads.
Always remember that eating small but frequent meals is a good way to help you keep food cravings in line and help you lose the weight.
Photograph courtesy of Jun …

Snacking while losing weight does not have to be boring.   Healthy snacks can look good and taste good as well.
Choose snacks that are high in complex carbohydrates and add a small amount of protein and heart-healthy fat so that you can stay fueled longer.  For example, put together 6 almond pieces, 5 dried apricots and a Babybel light round cheese for a filling and healthy snack.

This healthy snack combo is equivalent to one allowance of fruit, one allowance of lean meat, and one allowance of heart-healthy fat.
Photograph courtesy of Jun …