Once Halloween passes, you’ll see all of the Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations out in the department stores. This time of year is my absolute favorite, and last year I loved it even more! November and December are the “feast months,” full of parties, potlucks and big family dinners that will make you appreciate the fact that you can indulge a little bit. While “eating for two” is somewhat of a myth, it’s okay to splurge a little bit around the holidays. My OB noticed my extra weight gain in January last year, but I didn’t get in trouble! I’m sure the doctors and midwives know that their expecting patients will be enjoying a little extra of the holiday fare.
While you are enjoying all the extra food associated with the Holidays, keep a few things in mind:
1. Be careful about eating food that has been left out. It is common for holiday food to be served “buffet style” and sometimes it is left out a little too long. Enjoy hot and cold foods when they are first put out, but stick to the cookies and the pretzels after the first hour, once the hot foods have cooled and the cold foods have come up to room temperature.
2. Balance your sweets with healthy foods. Try to avoid packing in too much sugar, since it is hard for your baby to metabolize all that glucose. If you’re starving, have an extra serving of fruit salad or turkey. If you have gestational diabetes, stick to your diet!
3. Double check the punch and the eggnog. Make sure it’s non-alcoholic. I would certainly hope your host would warn you, but you never know if Uncle Bob spiked the bowl.
4. Skip the meat and cheese platter. Deli meats and certain cheeses are especially at risk for carrying the bacteria that causes listeria, which is very dangerous for pregnant women and their babies. If you’re dying for hard salami, heat it up to a safe temperature first.
What holiday foods are you looking forward to the most?