Health Net Reminder: Holiday Meals Don’t Need to Be High Fat, High Calorie to Be Tasty and Satisfying
December 15 2014 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
Healthy eating and happy holidays can be a
joyful combination
Sitting down to a high-fat, high-calorie holiday meal is a
longstanding tradition that Health Net, Inc. hopes Americans are
willing to rethink. According to the Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics, Americans – on average – gain one to two pounds during
the holidays. While that sounds like a manageable increase,
research has shown that this added weight tends to take up
permanent residence and accumulates every holiday season.
However, by embracing some simple, health-focused changes to the
traditional holiday meal, good health and good times can joyfully
coexist.
Rethink your Plate
As a starting point, Health Net suggests visiting the United
States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) “Choose My Plate”
website at http://www.ChooseMyPlate.gov, where you can better
visualize what your holiday-plate portions ideally should look
like.
A traditional holiday meal is likely to be heavy on protein and
grains – think prime rib and gravy-drenched stuffing.
Applying the “MyPlate” approach, half of your holiday plate
should be home to fruits and vegetables. The other half of your
plate should be devoted to lean protein and grains. And
don’t forget to include dairy – preferably of the fat-free or
low-fat variety – with your holiday meal.
In an effort to promote healthy eating in California, Health Net
developed and distributed a detailed MyPlate poster for display in
the offices of its contracting health care providers, as well as a
“Rethink Your Drink” poster that features thought-provoking
beverage facts such as:
- 20 ounces of non-diet soda can equal 22
packets of sugar;
- 20 ounces of a sports drink can be
equivalent to 12 sugar packets; and
- six ounces of a juice drink can contain
the equivalent of some six packets of sugar.
Making Healthier Holiday Choices
The USDA also offers these tips to increase the health quotient
of your holiday meals:
- Switch up the sweets – Serve up
bowls of fresh fruit – or baked apples with cinnamon – rather than
slicing them into calorie-heavy desserts. Or set up a dessert bar
where guests can create their own fruit and low-fat yogurt
parfaits.
- Give butter the boot – When
holiday baking calls for butter or oil, pureed fruits – such as
unsweetened applesauce or mashed bananas – can be tapped as
healthier alternatives.
- Reach for wheat – Wherever
possible, opt for whole wheat flour rather than white flour.
- Show eggnog the exit –
Traditional holiday beverages can weigh you down. Instead, say
cheers with low-calorie options, such as water with lemon or lime
slices, or seltzer water with a splash of 100-percent fruit
juice.
- Look for sugar and salt
stand-ins – In recipes calling for sugar and salt, spices and
herbs – such as cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg or sage – often can step
in as sound replacements.
- Know that skim is in – While the
holidays and heavy cream seem to go hand-in-hand, in the interest
of improved health, switch to skim evaporated milk.
- Go easy on the gravy – Because
it’s an unassuming liquid, there’s a tendency to forget that gravy
is far from calorie-free. Consequently, think of a drizzle – rather
than a downpour – when dipping the gravy ladle.
- Pick a lean protein – When
selecting a meat to serve for your holiday meal, lean toward lean
proteins, such as turkey, roast beef, fresh ham, cod or flounder.
And, before cooking your chosen protein, be sure to trim any excess
fat.
- Visit MyPlate for a makeover –
If you have a favorite holiday dish that you’d like to makeover
with better health in mind, visit:
http://www.supertracker.usda.gov/myrecipe.aspx.
Medical Advice Disclaimer
The information provided is not intended as medical advice or as
a substitute for professional medical care. Always seek the advice
of your physician or other health provider for any questions you
may have regarding your medical condition and follow your health
care provider’s instructions.
About Health Net
Health Net, Inc. (NYSE: HNT) is a publicly traded managed care
organization that delivers managed health care services through
health plans and government-sponsored managed care plans. Its
mission is to help people be healthy, secure and comfortable.
Health Net provides and administers health benefits to
approximately 5.9 million individuals across the country
through group, individual, Medicare (including the Medicare
prescription drug benefit commonly referred to as “Part D”),
Medicaid, U.S. Department of Defense, including TRICARE, and
Veterans Affairs programs. Health Net also offers behavioral
health, substance abuse and employee assistance programs, managed
health care products related to prescription drugs, managed health
care product coordination for multi-region employers, and
administrative services for medical groups and self-funded benefits
programs.
For more information on Health Net, Inc., please visit Health
Net’s website at www.healthnet.com.
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Lori Rieger(602)
794-1415lori.rieger@healthnet.comwww.twitter.com/hnlori
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