You can enjoy the eating season without packing on the pounds!

by Judy Dowd, MA, RD, LDN Owner, Nutrition Dynamics, Inc. Special to PRIME The holidays need not be a time of inevitable weight gain. You can enjoy holiday feasts and parties and keep the overindulgence to a minimum; it simply takes planning. Tips to survive party season Do not go to a party or buffet dinner hungry hunger can lead to a loss of control. However, a glass of vegetable juice or skim milk, or a nonfat yogurt can take the edge off your appetite and leave your mind open to making smart food choices. Search out low-fat party snacks these include vegetables (without the dip), plain popcorn and plain fruit. Also choose foods with protein (boiled shrimp, smoked salmon, skinless chicken, turkey, lean ham and lean roast beef) to help regulate your blood sugar during the festivities and make you less susceptive to cravings. Use salsa or cocktail sauce as dip. Avoid nuts, cheese, and chips and dip. Skip the eggnog, with or without alcohol. Depending on the recipe, eggnog contains at least 300 calories for 8 ounces with 15 grams of fat. Even with its high sugar content, mulled cider is a much smarter holiday beverage choice with only 100 calories and no fat in 8 ounces. Alcohol adds calories and lowers inhibitions; this, combined with the known appetite-stimulant effect of alcohol, can lead to overeating. To avoid this "double punch" alternate between alcoholic and calorie-free nonalcoholic beverages during an evening of partying. Make sure mixers are noncaloric, such as diet or club soda. Other lower calorie options are light beer or a white wine spritzer. Make three smart trips to the buffet table. On the first, fill your plate with vegetables and scout out the rest of the offerings. Round two, take small taste-size portions of those foods you simply have to try. Finally, take a teaspoon-size serving of several desserts, or share a regular portion of a favorite dessert with someone. This strategy can keep you busy and eating the length of the party without losing control of your food. Eating at the mal>/B> Bring along a snack: an apple and lower-fat cheese has sugar for energy and protein to sustain you. Or, trail mix made with plain cereal, mini-pretzels and scant handfuls of nuts and raisins. Handling family gatherings Fill your plate smartly. To please your relatives, fill your plate with large portions of vegetables, fruits & bread, and only taste-size portions of any fried or sauce-covered dishes. Turn down seconds smoothly. When offered seconds, compliment and thank the chef but give a polite refusal. If your refusal is rejected, ask to take the food home for another meal. Savor only the special. Eat only those special, seasonal foods yu can't get any other time of the year. For example, indulge in small portions of noodle pudding or turkey dressing. Avoid potato chips, nuts, ice cream and other fat-laden snacks that are available year-round. More holiday eating strategies Go ahead, eat (a little of) that sweet.Denying yourself sweets is not the way to deal with cravings for them. Have a small portion of the treat you crave and savor its taste and texture. Don't feel you must finish it. If you want more, eat something pickled or spicy to replace the sweet taste in your mouth. Share food gifts with fellow workers. That box of chocolates or bag of nuts will be a lot less damaging (or tempting) when passed around. Divide leftovers into snack-size portions. When you are the host and find yourself with too much food left over, package it into attractive carryout containers wrapped with ribbon and share these gifts of holiday cheer with your guests as they leave. Freeze everything in snack-size portions when the party is over,/B> to use for future meals, which you enhance with salads and vegetables. By preparing for holiday eating challenges you can fee full off the spirit of the season not the high-fat foods! Column provided to PRIME by Judy Dowd, MA, RD, LDN, nutrition coach and owner of Nutrition Dynamics, Inc. She specializes in weight management, nutritional needs of diabetes, heart disease and gastrointestinal diseases and eating disorders. Nutrition Dynamics, Inc. 780 Chestnut St., Suite 21, Spfld. 01107. 413-731-7031. e-mail:nutritiond@aol.com