EAT

“It’s just a tiny taste!”

We are tempted by lots of treats during celebrations all year. Here is an example of how tiny tastes can add up fast over the course of a couple hours:

Taste 1. A cookie broke on the cookie sheet, so you ate it. 30 calories

Taste 2. A piece of peanut brittle in a bowl on the counter attracts your attention. 80 calories

Taste 3. You were missing an ingredient so you made a quick trip to the grocery store. You pick up a food sample (a cracker and spread). 40 calories.

Taste 4. You pick up a box of chocolate-covered cherries. They remind you of your younger days and you enjoy one for a treat in the car. 60 calories

Taste 5. You are a little thirsty, so you enjoy a half cup of creamy eggnog. 200 calories

Taste 6. You are preparing a snack buffet. You have a few chips and dip. 75 calories.

Taste 7. You taste the ice cream while dishing dessert. (OK, you had two spoonsful.) 70 calories

Total treats: 555 calories

You can counterbalance treats with physical activity and less food at other meals. However, 500 extra calories per day over 7 days equals 3,500 calories. That could yield 1 pound of body fat in a week.

“Tiny Tastes” article was adapted from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Eat Mindfully

Encourage mindful eating with your family. Treats can be part of a healthful diet, but aim for just one or two treats each day. Slow down and really taste the food.

To trim calories throughout the festivities, try ice water with a splash of juice as a beverage. Enjoy low-calorie, high-nutrition whole-grain snacks, such as crackers; popcorn; apple slices; and vegetables such as carrot sticks, cauliflower and broccoli florets, grape tomatoes and crunchy green, yellow or red bell pepper strips with a flavorful dip.

Use lower-calorie options as ingredients. See the NDSU Extension handout, “Now You’re Cookin’: Recipe Makeovers!”

Veggie Dip

16 ounces fat-free plain Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons light mayonnaise

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon dried dill

1 cup kale, finely chopped

1 cup spinach, finely chopped

⅓ cup bell pepper, minced

⅓ cup carrot, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together and refrigerate.

Makes 14 (1/4-cup) servings. Each serving has 35 calories, 1 gram (g) fat, 4 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber and 40 milligrams sodium.

The NDSU Extension does not endorse commercial products or companies even though reference may be made to tradenames, trademarks or service names. NDSU encourages you to use and share this content, but please do so under the conditions of our Creative Commons license. You may copy, distribute, transmit and adapt this work as long as you give full attribution, don’t use the work for commercial purposes and share your resulting work similarly. For more information, visit www.ag.ndsu.edu/agcomm/creative-commons.

County commissions, North Dakota State University and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. NDSU does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of age, color, gender expression/identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, participation in lawful off-campus activity, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, public assistance status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, spousal relationship to current employee, or veteran status, as applicable. Direct inquiries to Vice Provost for Title IX/ADA Coordinator, Old Main 201, NDSU Main Campus, 701-231-7708, ndsu.eoaa@ndsu.edu. This publication will be made available in alternative formats for people with disabilities upon request, 701-231-7881.