So, the first of the big three-day summer holidays is now officially over. We rightfully celebrated and honored those who wore (and wear) the uniform of this nation to keep us safe from harm. We visited with families and had food galore. Hey, maybe we, and our loved ones, even strayed off our diets a little─or even more than a little. Corn needs butter and salt and what is a picnic without barbecue, pies and even ice cream?  Hopefully your digestive system didn’t create its own fireworks because of it.  Before the next summer feast, make a point to talk with your loved one’s doctor, dietician or nutritionist and put together a Holiday Nutritional Roadmap for them and for you.

Find out what foods are strictly off limits. Are there any substitutes you can use when cooking? One of my relatives made a tremendous dessert parfait this weekend, without sugar and using only fat-free products. Even I couldn’t tell the difference.  

Is there any room to take a slight detour off the roadmap? Is one cup of your loved one's favorite ice cream acceptable on special occasions?

Can new rituals be discovered together? Rather than the traditional triple threat cheesecake, can you get the kids together to make a large fresh fruit medley? Have you tried turkey hotdogs, low-fat mayo and frozen yogurt as substitutes?
 
Who knows? Generations from now your descendants will be reveling over your special fat-free barbecue sauce, and being that much healthier for having followed the nutritional roadmap you created so many years before.   

 

 

Gary Barg
Editor-in-Chief
gary@caregiver.com