‘Avoiding isn’t the solution’: Two nutritionists on maintaining balance this Christmas

All year round, Dr Joanna McMillan evaluates how other Australians eat, via Sunday Life’s My Day on a Plate. But what does the dietitian’s own day on a plate look like as we reach a time of year when every catch-up is an “occasion”?

She has her vices: “Often, I eat too much because I love food, and I certainly can drink too much wine.” Her philosophy is not to stress about moments of over-indulgence, but instead to focus on how she usually behaves. “It’s about consistency,” McMillan says. “So even when you fly away from it a little bit because you’re on holiday or because you’re socialising, you come back to that default position.”

For her, that means daily exercise, hydrating with water, alcohol-free days and ensuring that she eats well most of the time: “I don’t think about low-carb or low-fat or low anything,” she says. “I just eat good-quality food.”

McMillan also focuses on sleep. “If I’m tired, my brain doesn’t work as well and I also eat too much because I’m trying to get energy. So I’ve embraced having a daytime nap if I need it.”

All this allows her to stay sane during the festive season, and also let her hair down a little on other celebratory days.

On Christmas Day, the McMillan family tradition is to have a glass of champagne with smoked salmon on brown bread in the late morning while they open presents. They then graze on avocado dip and crackers before a late lunch of ham, salmon and “a bunch of salads”. And there’s always room for at least a little dessert, such as an extravagant ice-cream trifle, she adds.

Christmas, she says, is to be enjoyed: “Having a good relationship with food, a good relationship with your body and a healthy attitude is a matter of not being too strict about it.”

Dietitians Anna Debenham and Alex Parker, founders of The Biting Truth nutrition consultancy, agree. “Avoiding isn’t the solution because that’s not very fun, and it’s restrictive,” says Debenham. Instead, she and Parker suggest considering what you really enjoy rather than just eating everything because it’s there.

Ways to minimise a blow-out include opting for vegie sticks with dip – hummus, tzatziki and guacamole tend to be healthier options than nut- or cream-based dips – and putting the cheese on a small plate, so you are aware of portion size, as well as loading up on salad first.

On Christmas Day, Debenham tends to begin with a smoothie or yoghurt, is “big” on the appetiser cheese plate, opts for salads and seafood for lunch and then finishes with fruit or more cheese. She aims to fill up with water in between glasses of champagne. She also suggests deciding beforehand exactly how much you will drink – if you do at all – so you’re not negotiating with yourself in the moment.

There is room for a starter, main and dessert at Christmas, says Parker, adding that both she and Debenham like to remain active during the holidays to counter indulgence.

As McMillan points out, health is a journey, and one that depends mainly on what we do most of the time, not occasionally. “It’s making little adjustments along the way and recognising, ‘When am I exercising too much or not enough? Or do I need to change the way I’m eating?’ ”

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