A healthier festive season |03 January 2024

Let’s be honest! The last thing you want to hear during the festive period is to eat healthy foods. After all many of us already planned our menu some time back and most of the dishes are far from what one would consider healthy.

But what if you could still enjoy all your festive treats but perhaps tweak the recipe a bit so that it is healthier? Perhaps adding less salt, including packaged marinade and sauces and instead using more natural herbs and spices; or roasting instead of deep-frying or perhaps using the newer air frying technique.

We have talked about this time and time again but we will say it again. Healthy eating should not be seen as a crash diet that you do for a few weeks and then just forget about it. It is how you should strive to eat every day, including during festive time.

Choosing to eat healthy foods should basically be a part of your daily life. In viewing it this way, it becomes less of a chore and more natural. Just as you wake up every day and take a bath and brush your teeth almost automatically, then choosing to eat healthy foods most times should also be intuitive.

As we mentioned previously, healthy eating does not mean that you have to deprive yourself of a treat from time to time but it is understanding that some foods should be enjoyed judiciously while others should be eaten daily. Therefore, you can still enjoy the dish that you waited a whole year to eat but be mindful of your overall food choices and the amount of food that you’re eating in general during this time. As the year comes to a close you should start reflecting on how you can do better in the coming year, not just in terms of eating but your overall lifestyle.

Healthier festive dishes

There is emphasis there on the word ‘healthier’ as it might be impossible to make certain dishes healthy but there is certainly an opportunity to improve some dishes. We want to start off by looking at how we can enjoy our favourite dishes but prepared in a healthier way.

Choose the right cooking technique

The best method of cooking is one that retains as much nutritional content of the food while also ensuring that the food is tasty. Unfortunately, there isn’t one technique which will work for every single food. This means that a variety of techniques should be considered depending on the raw ingredients and nutrients contained therein.

In general, roasting, baking, stewing and sautéing in a small amount of oil or water are considered the best cooking methods from a health point of view. Even so, one technique may be good for one food but may be detrimental to others.

As a general guide when cooking with vegetables doing less is probably best. That means avoid using heavy sauces and a lot of salt and oil. The best way to prepare most vegetables is actually steaming for a short time. As there is limited contact with water, most of the vitamins in the vegetables are retained compared to boiling.

Some of the cooking techniques to keep to a minimum and try to avoid if possible include deep-frying, smoking and grilling at a very high temperature. It goes without saying that deep-frying increases your risk of cardiovascular disease with time due to the high amount of fat.

Regularly smoking and grilling fish or meat to the point of burning or charring, can create some harmful chemicals which can increase your risk for certain forms of cancer, notably that of the bowel. Air frying on the other hand is a healthier way of preparing your fish or meat without the excess fat and is therefore a more suitable alternative. Air frying can also be used in the preparation of certain vegetables.

Choose healthier alternatives

Most of the food that we enjoy during the festive period is typically high in sugar, salt and saturated fats and are highly processed. To make matters worse, they are the sort of foods that we tend to consume a lot of during this time, promoting weight gain and other health problems.

Some common examples include sweets, chocolate, cakes, pastries, biscuits, fizzy drinks, cordials, savoury snacks like samoosa, pate, sausage rolls, pizzas and chips, among others. Instead of these, why not try something different, especially if you are hosting a party or have been invited to a party where you’ve been asked to bring a dish.

Some healthier alternatives to consider include nuts, seeds, dried fruits, yoghurt, fresh fruits and vegetables which can usually be transformed into a variety of delicious dishes. For instance, you can make a trial mix from nuts, seeds and dried fruits; from fresh fruits you can make fruit kebabs or a fruit platter; vegetables can be the base for a variety of salads; and yoghurt can be transformed into a dip or a parfait which typically include alternate layers of yoghurt, fruits and/or wholegrain cereals.

Although it takes a bit more effort in terms of preparation, there are so many benefits to preparing your meals at home such as knowing all the ingredients you added in there and of course the final dish being much healthier. So while it may seem easier to reach for the ready-made spring rolls at the shop, think about how much better it would be to prepare some sandwiches or other dish using fresh ingredients at home.

Be mindful of portion sizes

It’s not just what you eat but how much you eat that is important. Therefore, throughout the festive time always be conscious of how much you are putting on your plate. Always start off with some protein of your choice, followed by some vegetables such as salads, then finishing with a small amount of your favourite carbohydrates. If you enjoy sweets and desserts, then keep them on the smaller side as well to avoid piling on the weight!

Stay active

One of the pitfalls of the festive season is that many of us spend a lot of time sitting down – be it at a party, in a restaurant or at home. Staying physically active during this time is just as important especially for those who find that they are eating a bit more than usual. Physical activity is not only limited to exercise, although that’s a great choice, but also includes brisk walking, jogging, dancing, swimming and house chores like cleaning and gardening.

The best way to get active is to try and incorporate physical activity throughout your day. If you are on leave during the festive period, then consider a walk with other family members. To make it even more interesting you can also think about a hike on a trail that you are yet to explore. Since we are in the rainy season, if walking seems to be difficult to do regularly, then switch to indoor activities. Nowadays there are a variety of online workouts available for free. The only thing you need is a laptop or computer, the internet and some space to do the exercise.

If lack of time is a problem for you because you have back-to-back parties, then use it to your advantage. Most gatherings will have music, so use this as a chance to show off some dance moves while also burning some calories. The bottom line is, if there’s a hurdle then look for a solution rather than making excuses and then not being active at all.  

Get enough sleep

This one may seem difficult for some of us as we find ourselves staying up late to enjoy the festivities. However, it is still important that our bodies get adequate rest and sleep so that it has time to rejuvenate and carry out repairs in body cells, muscles and organs; strengthen our immune system; and improve brain function in particular for decision-making and thinking more logically. Therefore, aim for a minimum of seven hours of sleep every day.

Thank you for joining us this week on our Eat for Our Health page. Look us up on Social Media - Eat for our Health Seychelles on Facebook.

Please get in touch by emailing eat4ourhealth@gmail.com and let us know how you’re doing with these ideas, or better still, let us know how we can help you.

Yours in health

The E4OH Team