Dinner Strategies for Surviving the Holidays
(Without Having to Put on Your Fat Pants)

As I’m sure you know, homemade foods are usually healthier than processed, prepared, or restaurant meals which are generally much higher in fat, salt and calories (and portions). As I’m sure you also know, finding the time to eat home-cooked meals during the holiday season is a lofty goal thanks to all the last-minute shopping (guilty), Christmas parties, cocktail get-togethers and cleaning for the in-laws. But as impossible as it may seem to avoid eating out every meal in December, I’m going to give you a few tips to ease the burden of getting dinner on the table without going up a pants size. You’re on your own with the in-laws, though...

Holiday Fat Pants Contributor: The holidays are a great time to be with friends.
Fight It: Instead of going out with friends, make dinner at home and invite them over. Team up with a friend and have a family dinner at their house one night and switch to your house on another. Divide up the menu between families and have each family bring a dish.

Holiday Fat Pants Contributor: Now is a time for making family memories.
Fight It: If you’ve got kids, don’t make them associate Christmas with a gorge-fest (they’ll end up trying to battle that one when they get older). Get closer to them by inviting them into the kitchen and teaching them a few things about cooking. It's a life skill that they will certainly thank you for some day. Some of the meals you make together can become family traditions for holidays to come.

Holiday Fat Pants Contributor: Between holiday parties, festivals, shopping, and going to the mall to see Santa, you have no time to think up a meal.
Fight It: Invest in a slow cooker if you don’t already have one. This is heavenly machine can save your sanity and your waistline. A slow cooker allows you to make simple, one-dish meals in a snap. Prep the ingredients in the morning, turn the slow cooker on and come home to a delicious ready-to-eat dinner.

Another solution is to make meals in advance (like on the weekend) and freeze them in family sizes and individual servings too. Have some fun and cook with a friend, double each other’s recipes, and split up the meals for both families.

Holiday Fat Pants Contributor: There’s no time to clean up the mess when you’ve got to run out the door after dinner.
Fight It: The clean and prep is often the most time consuming part of cooking, so prevent it by buying pre-washed veggies in the produce section of stores. The "open and steam" convenience of these pre-washed products is great. Better yet, invest in those steamer bags (i.e. Ziploc, Glad, etc.) and you’ll find you can steam just about everything! Wine not included...

Holiday Fat Pants Contributor: You barely have time to make the main dish, not to mention the side dishes.
Fight It: Serve "no cook" side dishes with your dinners. Apples, pears, avocadoes, tomatoes are just a few foods that don't need to be cooked and taste great all by themselves. A fruit or veggie plate with hummus or cucumber dip makes a terrific side dish.

Holiday Fat Pants Contributor: Nothing to eat in the fridge and it’s an hour before bedtime.
Fight It: When you cook at home, always cook enough to have leftovers the next day in case this happens. This saves my family on many occasions.

Meet the Trainer

Crystal is a certified personal trainer through the National Sports and Conditioning Association (NSCA). She has a passion for helping others live a healthy lifestyle and coaching them to push their limits beyond what they think they are capable of.