Indulge Good Food While Staying Healthy This Festive Season

Fruits and vegetables will add flavor and nutrients to your holiday food dish. (Photo: Shutterstock)

We all know that food always tastes better when we share it with our loved ones. In Malaysia, food plays a significant role especially during the festive season or holidays when friends and family gather to celebrate the occasion.

While that is true, we shouldn’t overeat until we end up in a food coma or feel sick. You might think it’s hard to resist the array of mouth-watering delicacies served during the occasion, but there are actually ways that you can still indulge in good food without sidelining your health.

Here are some tips on how you can enjoy great food while staying healthy during the festive season:

1. Enjoy in moderation

You may find yourself in front of a table spread full of delicious food, but you don’t necessarily need to eat every single one of them out of obligation or out of sheer habit. For example, if you’ve already had the cheesecake, do you still need to have the chocolate cake? Moderation is key to avoid overeating, and one way to do so is by taking your meal in smaller portions by using a smaller plate. Eating in moderation will also help you to digest the food easily as well.

2. Include lots of colourful fruits and vegetables

We always put in so much time and effort in decorating our homes for the holidays, so why not do the same with our meals? Fruits and vegetables will not only add colour, flavor, and nutrients to your holiday favourites, but they would help you feel fuller for a longer period of time, so you can avoid the temptation to overeat. You can also jazz up your salad with Hellmann’s salad dressings for greater taste, be it with its Roasted Sesame, Smoky Thousand Island or Smoky Caesar variant, depending on your preference. A healthy dish doesn’t need to be boring!

3. Make a healthy food swap

If you’re in charge of preparing the meal for you and your loved ones, then you can take the opportunity to tweak the dishes you make to increase the nutrients and cut down on empty calories by using healthier ingredients. For example, we can replace mashed potatoes with sweet potatoes, or replace white rice with brown rice which is healthier alternatives.

So, let’s make this festive season even healthier, not only for your own sake but for your friends and family, too!

Looking for some inspirations on what dishes you can make to serve during this holiday season? Check out some of our recipes here.