Staying heart healthy this festive season

The Christmas and holiday period can bring with it work parties and catch-ups with friends and family, often filled with plenty of tempting food.

As the festive season arrives, the Heart Foundation has released a new cookbook featuring a range of tips to encourage heart healthy eating during the holiday celebrations.

End-of-year celebrations are often associated with plenty of food and indulgence, and senior dietitian Jemma O’Hanlon encourages a balanced approach to festive eating.

She said cutting out discretionary foods entirely was not a realistic goal for many people.

“If we approach the festive season with balance on our minds, we can enjoy our favourite foods this holiday season while staying on track to prioritise our health goals,” she said.

“Try to avoid an all or nothing mindset as being too strict this festive season can cause us to crave unhealthy foods even more.”

Ms O’Hanlon’s tips for a healthier Christmas include:

• Cutting back on deli meats: limit deli meats on grazing boards and make sure to include a balanced diet of heart healthy food including fruit, vegetables and wholegrains.
• Fill up on fish or vegetable options first: try to limit the intake of fried alternatives
• Enjoy sparkling water: swap a glass of alcohol with sparkling water and a fresh lime, and
• Add flavour without salt: instead use herbs, spices or garlic when cooking.

Ms O’Hanlon also recommends downloading a copy of the Heart Foundation’s Holiday Recipe Cookbook as a way to seek inspiration for recipes that are also good for the heart.

Adding colour to cooking by using fresh fruit and vegetables is also a good option, and frozen produce works where fresh isn’t possible.

“A heart healthy eating pattern includes plenty of vegetables, fruits and wholegrains, so look to add them into your Christmas cooking where you can,” Ms O’Hanlon said. “If you have a sweet tooth, make sure fresh fruit is on the menu and try a heart healthy option such as the mini berry and yoghurt pavlova or baked Christmas pudding, which are healthier alternatives to the traditional versions.”

To download a copy of the cookbook, head to shop.heartfoundation.org.au