On a Diet? Don't Miss These Healthy Food in Your Holiday Meal! : Top Stories : Food World News

Dec 20, 2020 06:56 AM EST

On a Diet? Don't Miss These Healthy Food in Your Holiday Meal!

Alongside the rise of COVID-19 and the nationwide lockdowns that kept people inside the comfort of their homes, are the different diet trends and eating habits people dive in to.

Food Manufacturing mentions the International Food Information Council's (IFC) 2020 Food and Health Survey, which demonstrates 85 percent of Americans have made at least or a small alteration on how they consume and prepare their food, due to the pandemic, COVID-19 caused.

Being on a Diet during Holiday Season

(Photo : Brandon Bell)
The Broughton family prepares for their dinner prayers during a gathering on November 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Families have adjusted plans under CDC guidelines. "Not many people made it to Thanksgiving this year. I respect the CDC guidelines, and we have been following them with our own family practices. All year we have been fighting, social distancing, wearing masks and isolating. I wanted my family to feel rewarded for their efforts and rejoice together during this Thanksgiving - to remember that we should be in Thanksgiving everyday," said Dr. Christopher Broughton. Due to the spike in COVID-19 cases, as of November 21, 2020, the state of California has required that all non-essential work and activities stop between 10PM and 5AM in counties across the state.

Since the Holiday and Christmas season is sitting around the corner, indulging in food might become evident for some, adding a number to their weighing scale.

However, if you already dive into a diet before the holiday season, the smorgasbord your family might prepare for Christmas Eve might have been worrying you. Dishes can be healthy and should be enjoyed even if you're on a diet. Here are some of the foods you must eat so that your weeks of losing weight, won't have to go down the drain.

Turkey

(Photo : Michael Loccisano)
Food Bank For New York City Distributes Turkeys, Toys, And More With Tracy Morgan, Good+ Foundation, And Council Member Vanessa Gibson To Bronx Residents at Highbridge Houses on December 19, 2020 in Bronx, New York.

Relax, you can eat protein during holidays especially if it is turkey. Very Well Fit reports that this massive bird is a good source of zinc, lean protein, B Vitamins, and Potassium.

Medical News Today adds that eating turkey increases the feeling of satiety. This only means that eating this poultry will make you feel fuller and make you consume less food during Christmas dinner. Just do not smother the meat is so much gravy so that it'll stay healthy.

Pomegranate

(Photo : Sean Gallup)
Pomegranates from Azerbaijan lie on display at a stand at the International Green Week agricultural trade fair (Internationale Gruene Woche) on January 16, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. The International Green Week is the world's largest agricultural trade fair and is open to the public from January 16-25.

This red, rounded, and plum looking fruit will make your dinner table colorful and nutritious.

According to Yahoo! style, apart from being in season during the holidays, this fruit is rich in Vitamin C and potassium, and a good source of fiber. Yahoo! style points out that this fruit is low in calories, which is the focus of people who are on a diet.

Sweet potato

(Photo : Alex Wong)
Volunteers chop yams as they participate in the annual Everything But The Turkey, an event partners with DC Central Kitchen, to prepare Thanksgiving dishes for those in need November 25, 2013 at the DCJCC in Washington, DC. Hundreds of volunteers from the DC area gathered to help prepare more than 20,000 servings of holiday dishes, including yams, stuffing, coleslaw, green beans, and a bean salad, which will be distributed to 100 area social service agencies for Thanksgiving.

Thinking of having potatoes as a side? Why do't you try switching it with sweet potato for a healthier choice?

Very Well Fit notes that this tuber is high in fiber that is needed by our gut health after a sumptuous feast. Yahoo! style furthers that they are rich in antioxidants, sugar regulating, and anti-inflammatory nutrients that are beneficial for the health.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is more than just a flavoring and enhancer in some of your dishes. Yahoo! style mentions that it has lower cholesterol, balance insulin levels, and has amazing anti-inflammatory properties.

Medical News Today adds that Cinnamon can reduce some of the negative effects of eating high-fat foods, which can aid your overall weight loss plan.

Fruits

(Photo : Thomas Lohnes)
Needy people receive food, fruit and vegetables from volunteers at a Tafel food bank during the coronavirus pandemic on November 30, 2020 in Schweinfurt, Germany. About 130 needy people will receive food for their families for 3 euros on this day - a total of almost 600 people will be provided for. In 6 trips, volunteers had received fruit, vegetables and food from supermarkets. It took several hours for other volunteers to check and divide the food. Poverty levels in Germany, which in 2019 already rose to a record high, are expected to only be exacerbated by the pandemic. Many jobs in the restaurant, hotel and services sectors have been threatened as lockdown measures remain in place. And donations to charities have gone down significantly since the coronavirus outbreak.

Fruits have shown their positive effects on the body making them influential in some diets and is very easy to add to your favorite desserts. Yahoo! style points out that apples particularly the ones that enter the market this season, are high in potassium and helps in controlling the blood pressure.

Put it on your apple pie or consume it raw to enjoy its crisp juicy taste.

Indulging in food is not a crime during the Holiday season, for the law at least. But for the body, eating unhealthy foods will compromise its performance. Adding these foods to your diet this Christmas will give you a lot of benefits and also, help you maintain your healthy weight.