News You Can Use
Healthy diet, another holiday gift
University Relations
News Bureau (662) 325-3442
Contact: Kenneth Billings
December 16, 2008
STARKVILLE, Miss.-The holidays are a time to enjoy and treasure, but they also pose special challenges for healthful eating.
Sylvia H. Byrd, an associate professor of nutrition at Mississippi State University, says it's essential for consumers to choose their seasonal foods wisely, watch how much they eat and keep physically active during the last weeks of the year.
She provides several tips for enjoying those holiday meals while staying health conscious:
- Choose as many high-fiber, low-fat dishes as possible, including those with whole grains such as brown rice, couscous, whole wheat breads, and pasta;
- Avoid, as much as possible, dishes loaded with mayonnaise, sour cream and butter;
- Give preference to vegetables that are light on salad dressing, cheese or cream sauce;
- If pies, cakes and cookies just can't be resisted, consume only small servings, since all can be high in fat and cholesterol; and
- Limit alcoholic beverages to no more than one drink a day for women, two for men and, for both, only with meals.