You might think that if you're heading off to a Christmas party in the evening, it makes sense to basically starve all day so you can splurge that night. Sorry, but that just won't work. Do that and:
- you'll miss out on good nutrition during the day
- you'll be so hungry by the evening that you'll lose control at the buffet table and demolish more mini sausage rolls than you thought possible in one sitting
- the first glass of wine will go straight to your head and you'll keel over and fall asleep or do something horrendously embarrasing
Plan B
Eat little and often during the day, don't arrive at the party hungry and do stagger your drinks. Your day could look some thing like this:
Breakfast: Bowl of Bran Flakes or Fruit 'n' Fibre with skimmed milk and a handful of dried fruit. Glass of fruit juice.
Lunch: Bowl of vegetable soup or broth - avoid creamy soups and look for the lowest sodium or salt content to help avoid fluid retention and bloating
Wholegrain roll with cottage cheese and tomato
Snack: Banana with two tsp peanut butter
Snack: Muller rice
Evening: Drinks alternating with water
Carefully chosen goodies from the buffet table:
Good:
- Dainty sandwiches with salad, chicken or tuna
- Dips and crudites
- Nuts but watch that portion size
- Dried or fresh fruit
- Grilled or baked chicken sticks like satay
- Olives
- Parma ham or proscuitto
Not-so-good
- Sausages and sausage rolls
- Vol-au-vents or other pastry naughties
- Dainty sandwiches packed with mayonnaise
- Deep-fried chicken nuggets, breaded mushrooms, onion rings
Above all, enjoy yourself!
Merry Christmas