Winter brings about a series of cozy, mesmerising and joyful affairs among oneself as well as friends and families. Vacations are planned, beautiful outdoor barbecue dinners are organised and pretty woollen sweaters make their way to the wardrobes. And what’s more to the list? Amazing food festivals! Aren’t they just the absolute charm of the season? Stalls from dozens of cafes and restaurants are lined up with an endless menu of their special delicacies. The culturally rich food with a dash of sugar, spice and everything nice are truly the dishes one cannot afford to miss.
Now, with all the commotion and excitement to binge eat during these food festivals, isn’t it just ‘mission impossible’ to care about your diet? Gulping down a couple of beer pints or cocktails with delicious plates of pasta, rolls, pizzas, fries and maybe waffles may not harm you enough, if you are a person who waits for such festivals to eat your heart out. But if you are a regular, then the festivals will only end up being your treasure, where you will eat and drink in merry, and add up tons of kilos afterward.
So, what can you do to keep extra kilos at bay while you can enjoy every delicacy spread out at the stalls? Here are a few tips and tricks that can do a great deal of help:
- Don’t leave home empty stomach: This is significant all in all for people who stay empty stomach to only eat every piece of food at the event and end up binge eating. Prolonged starvation makes one more prone to overeating, especially at events like this. Therefore, to avoid this, you can leave home after eating a small meal two to three hours before the event or a fruit.
- Choose your food wisely: Of course, it is natural to get excited and stop at every stall that comes your way to check and maybe place an order. But this will only add up to unwanted calories along with wasting money. It is always wise to skip the extras so that you can concentrate more on foods you are actually looking forward to enjoy, keeping enough space in your stomach.
- Water: Always advised and always necessary, drinking water can only do you good, even at awesome food festivals. While you stay loyal and befriend water every hour (even with a few sips), you will see yourself not just eating wisely, also keeping yourself away from unnecessary bowel pains and adding the unwanted kilos.
- Portion control: While it is very much okay to get your taste buds satisfied at these festivals (because that is why you attend them!), it is also important to try and control your portion. This proves helpful of course to avoid extra unwanted calories, as well as to allow you to at least taste as many options available in the area! Now isn’t that the aim?
- Choose wholegrain options: To place an order and quieten your growling tummy, check out for menus that serve wholegrain options such as whole-wheat bread sandwich and pesto sauce pasts. You can also crunch on salads as your side food to add to the varieties and enjoy a hearty meal without guilt.
- Stay away from aerated drinks and vitamin waters: Drink water and none of the other drinks filled with sugar and soda. While they may be tempting and come in various flavours luring you to spend an extra cash, make the wise decision to instead pick water. Water will not only quench your thirst, but will also ensure that your body doesn’t pile up the unwanted calories.
- Plan your week ahead: Now this can be the wisest decision if you really worry about your health and wish to eat without worries at a fest. Plan your week before the fest by indulging in healthy options. This will allow you to enjoy a fantastic cheat day (or maybe two) without worrying about having gained extra pounds.
Another thing that you can do is walk around while enjoying the delicacies instead of sitting. This will help you to not just get lazy and binge eat at one outlet, but also help you explore the rest. In fact, hit the dance floor if there is one to burn your calories and ensure that you do not miss your workout the next day. Happy Eating!