MyPyramid Podcast #14: Holiday Parties…. Made Healthy


Ashley: Hey, Karen. Are you coming to the holiday party?

Karen: You know, I just have too much work today. I’m sorry.

PodCasto: Come on, Karen. It’s going to be so much fun.

Ashley: Yeah.

Karen: I’d like to, but maybe next time.

Ashley: Well, if you have time, I hope to see you up there.

Karen: Thanks. I’ll think about it.

PodCasto: Alright come on, let’s go.

Karen [to herself]: I want to go, but if I do, I’m afraid I’ll break my diet. I can’t stay away from those delicious desserts and all those sweet treats.

Brian Wansink: Oh come on, Karen, everyone else is downstairs at the party. Let’s head down and I’ll show you how to eat right.

Karen: OK.

Brian Wansink: Hi. I’m Dr. Brian Wansink, the Executive Director for USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. And we’re gonna party! [reacting to Karen’s surprise at seeing all the food at the party:] Oh come on, Karen, let’s go. It’s not that bad! You know, for a lot of people, holidays are just diet disaster times because all these goodies are around here and you don’t know what to pick up, and you don’t know when to put it down. Here’s a few tips you can use to actually make today work for you.

* Look here! You can do what this guy is doing: put only two items on your plate at any one time. You can always go back for seconds or thirds, but what you’ll end up doing is eating a lot less over the course of your party.

* OK, here’s another great thing: Start with fruits and vegetables and the low-calorie stuff because what it does is it fills you up and that way you’re less likely to indulge. You can always have the indulgent goody a little bit later, but this way you’re going to be full before you get there.

* Oh, but this is what you don’t want to do: you don’t want to sit right next to the table or stand right next to it because you’ll end up eating a lot more. Instead, if you end up eating on the other side of the room, or sitting there, you’ll eat less because it’s more work to come back.

Karen: You know, maybe we should just move her… help her out a little. 

Brian Wansink: Let’s do it! She’ll thank us later. Karen, I’m glad you didn’t spend the entire party in your cubicle.

Karen: Me too. You know, I stuck to the tips and it really wasn’t that bad. The food was delicious!

Brian Wansink: Remember, there’s some very simple things you can do to eat a lot less at parties. Instead of filling up on foods you wish you hadn’t eaten, aim for first filling up on a lot of vegetables and low-calorie dishes. Then, if you’re still in the mood for more, indulge yourself. Remember, put only two items on your plate at a time. You can always go back, but what research shows is that you’ll eat a lot less. This way, your body will tell you if it’s full before eating more. Also, try to keep on the other side of the room from the table. If you really want more, you can have it, but you’re going to have to walk a little farther.

So have a great healthy time at all your upcoming parties. But in the mean time, you can find more tips at the website MyPyramid.gov. See ya at the party. 

[Speaking to PodCasto:] You can relax a little bit if you want to.

PodCasto: Oh, finally!