Mindful Eating During the Holidays
Congratulations on making it to the end of another year! You all should be proud of all the goals and things that you have achieved in 2024.
Now that we are heading into holiday season (yay), we wanted to share some of our favourite tips for eating mindfully, especially when we are placed in situations that are outside our normal routine, e.g. Christmas lunch.
Practicing Intuitive Eating
- REMOVE LABELS OF ‘GOOD’ AND ‘BAD’ FOODS. Christmas is a special day, please don’t place pressure on yourself to have a ‘perfect’ day of eating.
- HONOUR YOUR HUNGER AND FEEL FULLNESS. Listen to your body’s signals. Do not skip meals and eat slowly so your body can assess your fullness levels.
- PRACTICE GRATITUDE. Food is delicious and keeps us alive! Make a comment to your family or friends about a particular component of the meal you enjoyed.
- ENJOY MEALS THAT SATISFY YOU. Eating should be a fun experience, choose foods that you enjoy to get the most out of the experience.
- AVOID COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS. “Aunty Susan’s plate looks way healthier than mine… I wish I could be more like her”. All individuals have varied nutrition needs, try not to compare yourself to others or make comments on what they are eating, they may have struggles of their own related to food. If you are feeling stuck on how to build a balanced Christmas Day plate, use this guide;
Recipe: Christmas Caprese Pasta Salad
6 serves | Prep Time: 30 mins
Pasta Salad
- 250g dry spiral or bowtie pasta
- 200g Mozzarella balls
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a jar with a lid, add dressing ingredients: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Shake until all ingredients are incorporated. Set aside. If you do not have a jar, add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until combined.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- To a large bowl add cooked pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, and basil. Drizzle with vinaigrette dressing and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy this fresh summer side with Christmas lunch!
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