12/05/12 The holiday season is about family and food – and too often, adding a few extra pounds to our waistlines. This holiday season the American Heart Association is publishing a free “Holiday Healthy Eating Guide” to help Americans celebrate smarter.
“It’s no secret that for many of us the holidays are full of heavy, high-calorie foods and lots of sweets,” said Margie Fougeron, a dietician who is a board member with the American Heart Association. “We can still have a good time, but there are some tricks to make some of our favorite holiday foods healthier for us. The “Holiday Healthy Eating Guide” is full of those tips.”
Available online at www.heart.org/indianapolis, the “Holiday Healthy Eating Guide” includes tips about:
- Holiday Beverages such as hot chocolate, egg nog, apple cider and cocktails
- Holiday Meals such as portion sizes and cooking substitutions
- Holiday Parties
- Winter Workouts
The guide also features three recipes, including orange glazed turkey and a pork tenderloin.
“Making healthy choices at the holidays doesn’t have to be difficult,” Fougeron said. “Making just a few small changes to our favorite foods and the amount of activity we get can make a big difference to our health.”
The “Holiday Healthy Eating Guide” is part of the American Heart Association’s My Heart. My Life. healthy living platform, offering a comprehensive health, wellness and fitness initiative that empowers Americans to get healthier. It’s an important component of the American Heart Association’s national goal: to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent and to reduce deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 percent by the year 2020.
