SINGAPORE – The year-end festive season is here and social gatherings are in full swing.

For some, it could be the first time in three years meeting friends and family and feasting together in big groups.

But is it possible for festive feasting to be healthy? Experts, including dietitians, share ways to prioritise health without missing out on good food. 

Also sharing their health tips when it comes to hosting and attending parties are Ms Pamela Teo and Mr David Tan.

In November, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) honoured 135 recipients (workplaces, pre-­schools, individuals) at the Singapore Health (Helping Everyone Achieve Lifetime Health) Award 2022, for their exemplary efforts in championing healthy living.

Ms Teo is a human resource and administration director at beIN Sports Asia Pacific. The sports media and entertainment organisation won the Excellence Award for the Organisational Champion Award category for its efforts in driving comprehensive and holistic workplace health programmes. 

Mr Tan, who helps to enhance workplace learning, won the Health Ambassador Recognition Award. The prize commends those who have had more than five years of active volunteering and over 80 hours of deployment with HPB, including supporting community initiatives to raise awareness of physical and mental well-being. 

Tips to eat healthily at a festive party

1. Practise mindful eating 

One of the biggest ways people can practise healthy eating during this festive season is by having good awareness about the process of eating, says Ms Fionn Chua, a senior dietitian at Changi General Hospital. 

The brain needs about 20 minutes to receive signals from the stomach to tell you that you are already full, she notes. 

To prevent overeating, Ms Chua suggests slowing down the speed at which you eat. 

To do so, practise and make a conscious effort to chew thoroughly before swallowing. This, she adds, also helps you to enjoy the flavours of the food, leaving you more satisfied with your meal. 

“One of our patients shared that she intentionally uses a smaller spoon to eat. This is a good example of how you can find creative ways to slow down the speed of eating,” notes Ms Chua. 

2. Strategise before filling up your plate

It can be difficult to decide what to eat when there is a wide variety of tempting dishes available. Take a few minutes to survey all the food options first, say dietitians. 

Ms Chua recommends filling your plate with a good variety of vegetables, protein, starches and some fruit or dessert, and avoid going for a second helping. 

“This is important especially for those with diabetes, as you will then be able to plan your carbohydrate portions appropriately, to prevent an undesirable spike in blood sugar levels after the meal,” she says.

Mr Tan says he uses HPB’s My Healthy Plate guide to have a healthier and well-balanced diet, including at festive gatherings.

My Healthy Plate outlines the different food groups and serving sizes that people are recommended to consume daily in order to achieve a healthy, balanced diet. It recommends filling a quarter of your plate with wholegrains, a quarter with meat and other proteins such as tofu and eggs, and half your plate with fruit and vegetables.

“It is a simple and easy-to-follow visual guide for making healthy eating choices. In the event that I am unable to follow My Healthy Plate at a meal, I will eat food from all food groups,” says the 57-year-old bachelor, who is a health ambassador with HPB.

3. Choose your battles

The season of festive eating is rarely limited to a single event. There are often numerous work functions, events with friends and several family gatherings. 

Dr Naras Lapsys, a consultant dietitian at The Integrative Medical Centre, recommends choosing in advance the ones that you want to relax and ease off on self-control, and going in with a game plan for the others.

“Decide in advance that you will skip the desserts, or that you will only eat a main course, or not go back for seconds. Make healthier choices, eat sensibly and in moderation,” he advises.

When Ms Teo and her family attend Christmas or New Year’s gatherings, she makes it a point to practise portion control. 

The 53-year-old, who is married and has two grown daughters, also has a rule where she drinks only water and avoids sugary drinks. 

“It can be difficult to control when there is so much good food all around, but it’s important to think of your health even while having fun,” says Ms Teo, who has high cholesterol. 

4. Look for lower-calorie foods first 

Festive foods may be rich, creamy, sweet or fried with a lot of potentially hidden calories. 

One way to get ahead of the extra calories is to identify the food with lower calories, says Dr Lapsys. 

“Look for soups, salads and stir-fried vegetables. These foods may fill the belly and start giving you signals of fullness, so that when it comes to the foods that are higher in calories, you naturally eat less,” he adds. 

He also suggests consuming food that has been steamed, baked and grilled as these types of food preparations are often lower in fat and calories.

5. Keep an eye on how much you eat

When people are eating, drinking and enjoying one another’s company, it is easy to over-consume food without noticing that you are full. However, there are strategies that can help you with this. 

Ms Adlyn Farizah, an accredited nutritionist at The Whole Kitchen, a gluten-free bakery with outlets in East Coast and Robinsons Road, recommends taking a moment to register how hungry or full you are in between eating. 

“Use a scale of one to 10 with one being ravenous and 10 being uncomfortably stuffed. Ideally, we want to be at three or four before eating and reach five or six after a meal. This is a good tool to tell you that you’re satisfied and nourished, and prevent mindless overeating,” she highlights.

If you want to enjoy as many festive delights as possible, have a smaller portion or share it with someone instead of having the full portion, says Ms Adlyn.

Mr Tan, for instance, eats in moderation when there are “sinful food options”. He adds: “I tend to overindulge when there is a greater array of food available during the festive period. But my perspective of eating healthy is not equal to avoiding unhealthy choices, but having them in moderation.”

6. Identify hidden calories in beverages 

Dietitians say beverages often contain high levels of sugar and contribute to excessive calorie intake.

“Sugary drinks don’t quench thirst, so it’s easy to go back for more. Alcoholic drinks whet your appetite, so when you are drinking and eating, you will often end up eating even more,” says Dr Lapsys.

Hence, dietitians suggest drinking water instead of alcoholic drinks, juice or soda. 

This is even more important for those who have diabetes or need to lose weight, says Ms Chua.

Tips to host a healthy festive party

Shop smart 

If you are hosting a party or dinner, provide lower-fat and lower-sodium options. To do this, Ms Chua suggests planning your menu ahead, and compiling a shopping list before heading to the supermarket.

“With national rates of high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels on the rise, it is advisable to avoid processed or pre-packaged convenience foods as they tend to be high in salt and fat,” she says. 

Instead of buying unhealthy snacks such as potato chips and cookies, Ms Teo makes her own using a dehydrator. 

She says: “I don’t buy snacks because they are high in fat, sugar and salt. Dried foods, on the other hand, are tasty and nutritious, and there’s no fuss with the preparation. My favourite snacks are dried sweet potatoes and lady’s fingers.”

Ms Chua also suggests including plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and lean protein such as fish, meat or beans in the preparation of dishes. 

“Celery and carrot sticks paired with homemade hummus and a low-fat yogurt dip make for a good party finger food for your guests to nibble on while mingling,” she adds.

Shave calories with simple swops

Make healthier versions of traditional foods by replacing high-fat ingredients, to help keep your blood cholesterol levels under control, says Ms Chua. 

For example, she recommends replacing coconut milk with low-fat milk or yogurt; baking or grilling meats instead of frying them; and choosing plain nuts over sugar-coated or fried nuts.

Mr Tan prefers to eat nuts, prawn crackers and cereal with the Healthier Choice Symbol on the packaging. 

Such products are healthier compared with the other offerings in the same food category since they contain less sodium, saturated fat, sugar and/or are free of trans fat, or are higher in calcium, dietary fibre and wholegrains.

If you are baking cakes or muffins, consider substituting half the sugar with some bananas or berries, says Ms Chua. 

“This reduces the sugar and calorie content while still retaining the sweetness of a dessert. As a bonus, it helps to increase the fibre content too,” she says.

One of Ms Teo’s must-haves at a Christmas meal is potato salad, her daughters’ favourite dish.

Most potato salads are not healthy because they are usually made with a lot of mayonnaise. But Ms Teo uses a healthier version of the condiment.

“I opt for low-fat light mayonnaise as it has half the calories of regular mayonnaise and it’s a healthier choice. Amazingly, no one can tell the difference in the taste,” says Ms Teo, who regularly hosted Christmas parties before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Instead of turkey, which can be unhealthy when eaten with the skin, she serves do-it-yourself popiah at Christmas gatherings. 

“I usually lay out many varieties of vegetables, so people can prepare their own servings and take more of what they prefer,” she says.

Watch out for liquid calories

Instead of alcoholic drinks, soda and juices, serve water and tea at parties, suggests Dr Lapsys. 

Alternatively, consider serving fruit-infused water. 

Says Ms Chua: “Simply add a few slices of your favourite fruit like watermelon or strawberries, chop up some herbs like mint or basil, and let them sit in a jug of water to chill overnight.”

If you prefer something more exciting, try using sparkling water instead of still water.