The Christmas holidays are coming and that means enjoying tons of good food. However, If you are on a diet, it can be quite difficult to stick to your daily routine of eating healthy food.

You can still have a balanced diet on Christmas, and it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy your Christmas feast. With a few tips, you can keep your calories down and stick to your eating plan.

Here are a few tips on how you can stick to your balanced diet this Christmas season:

• Weigh up your options – When it comes to preparing a Christmas feast, you have plenty of cooking methods to choose from. If you want to stick to a balanced diet and stay healthy, you can bake, broil, or steam your dishes. Stay away from fried foods. In addition, you can use healthier alternatives for fatty and greasy ingredients.

• Portion your food – You don’t want to skip eating those delicious Christmas meals. To stick to your diet, make sure that you portion your food. We tend to overeat when we see plenty of dishes presented to us, and it can be easy to be carried away with eating amidst all the talk going on at the table. Portion your food to make sure that you stick to your recommended daily caloric intake. The key is balancing and not skipping meals.

• Prepare for parties – During the holidays, you are sure to be invited to plenty of Christmas parties. Prepare yourself by eating a snack before you leave the house. A small portion of a salad, a few crackers, or an apple will do. If you attend a party with something in your stomach, you will be eating less throughout the party.

• Choose your sweets – Christmas feasts are not complete without desserts. If you are planning a Christmas menu for your family to enjoy, make it a point to choose healthier desserts instead of those full of sugar. You can also add a few healthy ingredients to desserts such as almonds, nuts, raisins, and berries. You can get a few ideas from Kraft. 
  

• Eat slowly – It takes about 20 minutes for us to realize that we are already full. Take your time when eating and stop when you are full. Don’t wait to get to the point when you can no longer get out of your seat because of the food that you ate. This will help you lessen your caloric intake during the holidays.

• Motivate yourself – All it takes is self-control for you to be able to have a balanced diet this Christmas. If you stick to your plan and are motivated, you can make the right choices even if you are faced with countless meals that look delicious.

With these tips, you will be on your way to enjoying a Christmas feast without the added calories. Remember that you don’t need to stay away from everything. If you make good choices and continue exercising throughout the holidays, you won’t be putting on pounds that you will worry about later on.