Family events, and especially annual events that allow you to enjoy your culture or religion, can not only be a lot of fun, but can also allow us to feel closer to those around us, and those we worship.
However, for some people, these events can be a struggle when it comes to managing our food and drink intake, especially for events that last more than one meal, or even more challenging, more than one day.
This guide is designed to help you navigate these events healthily while still enjoying the essence of the celebration.
You can also watch our webinar on Supporting Diversity here, where health coaches Simi and Kirstie dive a little deeper into this topic.
Planning for a family event
You might be concerned that you will struggle to stop eating due to the abundance of certain cultural foods that you may consider a ‘treat'.
First, let’s focus on the language we use around foods.
Try meal planning and setting a framework for your celebration period that includes 'everyday' and 'occasional' choices.
Here are some more practical tips to consider minimising exposure to occasional foods and drinks:
Store purchased items out of sight until your event: ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ can help with prioritising healthier foods in your kitchen and making them more appealing.
Don't over-shop or shop too early: having certain foods in sight or near-by can increase temptation. Minimise how much of these foods are in the house and for how long.
Save your food: If you do feel tempted to eat more of the food on offer, suggest taking some home in a container so you can enjoy it when you truly want to another time.
Sharing is also caring: If given food or sweets as a gift, consider re-gifting these, sharing these with others, or freezing them for another time.
The voice within
Remember that it’s fine to enjoy occasional desserts and celebratory sweets as part of a healthy balanced mindset around food.
Make sure you practise self-kindness and forgiveness when eating foods that are not typically a part of your balanced intake.
If you find yourself falling into the All-or-Nothing thinking trap, imagine cutting your whole day into quarters.
What happens in 1 quarter doesn't have any impact on the next quarter. When we think about our daily food intake in this way, we can see that what happens at lunch has no effect on our dinner intake.
The below image demonstrates how shifting your mindset from ‘All-or-Nothing’ to thinking about an overall balance can help you feel in control and back into your healthy routine as soon as possible.
Thinking about your long-term goals can help to avoid the All-or-Nothing thinking trap.
This cultural event may be only for one day, like Diwali, or perhaps it lasts a whole month e.g. Ramadan. This is still only a part of your overall healthy year.
On the days when you are celebrating and enjoying occasional foods, you can still mix in everyday foods for an overall healthy intake.
One thinking trap to consider is the ‘justification thinking trap’, which you can read more about in our guide.
An example of this would be, “I have no control over the food served and am not responsible for food preparation.”
A positive thought to this instead could be “I can take control where I can by limiting dessert portions, taking a healthy side dish as a contribution to the family meal, or practising saying ‘no’ where needed to protect my health goals.
Avoid overeating
Here is some advice to avoid overeating at these events:
Make sure you’re well rested and hydrated so you don’t arrive hungry, tired, or thirsty as this can exacerbate feelings of hunger and wanting to consume a large volume of food in a short time.
Start your meal with vegetables to ensure you’re loading up on fibre first
If you’re eating with your hands, consider how to balance your food intake by using the hand guide to stay on track of portions:
We recommend you aim for:
One closed fist size of complex carbohydrates (making up 25% of your meal) ✊
A protein portion the size of the palm of your hand (making up the final 25% of your meal). For fish, this includes your palm and your fingers ✋
Two open, cupped hands of vegetables (making up 50% of your meal) 🤲
A serving of fats the size of your thumb
Mindful eating
Make sure you are eating mindfully. One way to do this is to check in with your hunger regularly throughout the meal.
Try not to reach the point of hunger where you are at 2-3 as this is the ‘danger zone’ where you are likely to overeat fast, easy foods. Aim to stop eating at a 6-7 to ensure you are comfortably full and no uncomfortably full.
If you’re still hungry, add additional protein, healthy fat and vegetables. Portion your carb intake reasonably.
Consider how you lay the table or where you place yourself strategically so that you aren’t so close to where tempting occasional foods can be easily reached, or next to family feeders who may serve you!
Consider what you could add to the table, for example, a soup as a starter or additional vegetable dishes to bulk your plate.
Dealing with desserts and sweets
Cultural and religious holidays are synonymous with sweet foods. Before making a sweet food choice, as yourself:
Do you really want this food?
What is driving this choice? E.g. nostalgia, sweet cravings, emotions, anxiety.
How much of this food do you need to satisfy your craving?
Does this food support your long-term health goals?
Is this food something you will really enjoy?
Consider the volume of sweet foods at certain celebrations and what you can do to reduce this.
For example, if available, opt for a healthier option, such as fruit and yoghurt, or take a healthier dessert option to add to the table.
Fruit is often a meaningful part of cultural celebrations. When considering a serving of dry fruit, note that approximately 30g (e.g., 3 large dates) is one serving. Here is more guidance on fruit servings.
You can also share a dessert to reduce your intake or opt for a mint, herbal or fruit tea for a sweet flavour without additional calories.
Enjoying family tradition
If it’s important to feel that you are respecting your religion’s traditions, or if you want to enjoy your special meal without creating boundaries, then that’s okay. Consider your food intake before and after the event if this is the case.
For example, if you are having a large celebratory evening meal, plan a delicious healthy breakfast and lunch, and prepare breakfast for the next morning, to ensure you start the next day with a balanced meal.
Religious and cultural events can be a wonderful time to make memories with family and friends.
Go with a clear strategy to navigate these events the best you can. If it doesn't go exactly as you'd planned, it's just one event and doesn't define your health in the long term.