Smart celebrations

When attending a party,a few tips and planning can protect from the ills of dining and wining.

Plan: Just like you plan your clothes and meetings,plan your eating too. If you know you are to dine out,then under-eat during the day. Remember,dont go starving to the party.

Maintain a food diary: Food diary helps you to track your caloric intake and make appropriate choices accordingly.

Appetizers: Make sure you take a light snack (salads,soups,vegetables,lentils,milk,yogurt or nuts make good choices) before leaving your home to prevent over-indulgence of the first thing that you are served. Or else,eat most of your meal at home and choose light snacks or vegetables while you are out.

Snack smart: Go for roasted,baked,non-fried,grilled or barbecued snacks. Choose small portions preferably. If overindulged in snacks,keep the dinner light or skip it all together. If you are stuck with oily and fried snacks,use tissue to blot-off excess oil discretely.

Limit Alcoholic beverages: Avoid drinking more than 2 medium drinks of wine or other alcoholic beverages. Women should limit their intake to 1 medium drink. If you have to go through a long evening over drinks,dilute your drinks or else take water or soda intermittently. Diabetics should watch out for alcohol intake as it can lead to hypoglycemia.

Other beverages: Save yourself from sugar calories and avoid drinking sweetened beverages. Go in for sugar free substitutes,diet sodas or fruit juices diluted with soda.

Vegetables: One must look for vegetables with less gravy or without gravy as gravies are loaded with fats and calories. Try grilled,stir-fried or lightly sautéed vegetables. Avoid fried/ oily dishes. If non- vegetarian,choose light roasted/ grilled fish/poultry to mutton/ beef/ pork. Prefer lean cuts of meat.

Desserts: Skip desserts if possible,or choose light ones in place of ones with cream or deep fried ones. If temptation overtakes you or you have a sweet tooth,share your favourite ones with your friends.

Find alternatives to traditional sweets,using alternative low calorie sweeteners and limit portion sizes.

Social pressure: Learn to say no politely but firmly. A lot of people dont take no for an answer,so it may be a good idea to ask them for an alternative which you would like to have. Some people may even force things on your plate or pour you a drink which you may not want; you can be discrete and put it away without offending anyone. Another strategy which can work is to let people know that you are off-sweets or alcohol etc.,as the case may be.

Remember the principle of moderation and balance. A small portion of a high calorie food cannot hurt and helps to satisfy the urge. But,if you have indulged and gorged,balance is the golden word. Reduce caloric intake in the subsequent meal by having soups / salads/ a bowl of yogurt / skimmed milk or even walk that extra mile.

Ishi Khosla is a former senior nutritionist at Escorts. She heads the Centre of Dietary Counselling and also runs a health food store. She feels that for complete well-being,one should integrate physical,mental and spiritual health. According to her: To be healthy should be the ultimate goal for all.