Issue Date: November 21, 2004

Do's and don'ts of healthful snacking

Avoid becoming a stuffed turkey this holiday season: Follow these tips from a dietitian and a spa chef.

By Kelly DiNardo

From Uncle Bob's bourbon-glazed sweet potatoes to Aunt Sheila's toasted-coconut reindeer cake, the home stretch to the New Year can mean gobbling your way to a Santa-like physique.

We asked two experts for help. Follow their advice and the only stuffed turkey you'll find this holiday season will be the one on your dinner table.

Don't skip meals. Often people ditch dinner and just eat at parties. "That can be the kiss of death," warns Cindy Moore, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "They get to the event, and they are so hungry they lose control." Eat frequently -- breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks -- to keep your appetite under control.

Don't munch mindlessly. If you chat with someone while standing next to the bowl of chips, you could end up scarfing them all without realizing it. Put a handful of chips on your plate and walk away, Moore suggests. A tip for bakers: Freeze that big batch of cookies in smaller packs of two or three.

Do expand your definition of snack food. "When we think about snacking, the things that come to mind are chips, cookies and other items that tend to be higher in sugar, fat and calories," Moore says. "If we redefined the concept of snack foods to include more nutrient-rich items, that would help." Two of her ideas: Blend a glass of fat-free chocolate milk with raspberries, or lace slivers of banana over a small scoop of reduced-fat ice cream. Both have an extra dose of calcium, and the fiber-rich fruit will fill you up and take longer to digest.

Do make your own snacks. "I'm a snackaholic," admits Bill Wavrin, executive chef at the Miraval resort near Tucson. So he replaces less-healthful treats with waist-friendly options. Two examples: "I steam edamame [soybeans] for a few minutes and toss it in a party mix instead of nuts. It still has a crunch, but it's lower in fat, and it's a good source of soy protein." Instead of tortilla chips, spray tortillas with olive oil cooking spray, toast them in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes and use them as chips. "They're not fried, and [they] taste great with salsa."

Don't hurry through the produce section. "People pass up the vegetable stand too quickly," Wavrin says. "There's a lot of stuff people aren't aware of. Of course there are carrots, onions and whatnot, but there's also kohlrabi, turnips and beets." Be adventurous.

Do shoot for maintenance. "This is absolutely not the time to try and lose weight, but do aim to break even," Moore says. Studies show that people who gain a holiday pound or two have not lost that weight a few months later. "Step on the scale more often," Moore says. "Don't go crazy about it, but be aware."

Don't give up. "Because you splurged one day doesn't mean you're doomed to failure," Moore says. "So if you overdid it yesterday, extend your workout a little bit extra today and tomorrow."