Did you overeat over the Thanksgiving weekend?
Mmm hmm. Me too.
So here’s the bad news. I’ve read that Thanksgiving, the beginning of the “holiday season,” is the starter point for weight gain and that the average number of pounds a person puts on between the end of November and January 2nd is about 7.
Yes, there are some recent studies that say it’s only one pound.
I’m already there though and they didn’t poll me for that study.
It’s hard not to be a glutton when there are so many goodies around as temptations. Stuffing and gravy, Hanukkah latkes or doughnuts, Christmas cookies, hot chocolate with marshmallows. The list goes on.
There are recipes for low-fat or low-calorie versions of our favorites.
But they aren’t really as delicious as the real thing.
And there are diet and nutrition experts who write about the ways to refrain from over indulging.
But how many of us actually pay attention?
I can only speak for myself.
I don’t.
I enjoy food, create recipes, write about food for a living, so keeping myself at a reasonably normal weight is always a problem, exacerbated during the holiday season.
But I do try to keep to a sort of a plan. Instead of refraining entirely, one of the ways I try to keep from at least going over the average is to stop stuffing. One doughnut, not three or even two.
And I try to eat well in between celebrations, meaning lots of fish, vegetables, whole grains. Skip the fried. Keep away from the cookies in the freezer. No bread for dinner unless I’m serving soup.
I think this helps.
One of our favorites of the season is Arctic Char. It’s filling, mild but tasty, and easy to prepare. It’s also not one of the more expensive fish, comparatively speaking.
Here’s a recipe for a recent version I made. It includes colorful and nutritious vegetables (tomatoes and asparagus) so it’s like a meal in one, though you can add a side dish if you like.
Roasted Arctic Char with Cherry Tomatoes and Asparagus
12-15 medium asparagus
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 pounds Arctic Char
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the woody bottoms from the asparagus, rinse the stalks and dry them in paper towels. Rinse and dry the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Place the vegetables in a roasting pan and pour one tablespoon olive oil over them. Roll the vegetables to coat them. Place the asparagus in the center of the pan and put the fish on top. Mix the remaining olive oil, mustard and lime juice and spread this mixture on top of the fish. Move the cherry tomatoes around the pan. Scatter the dill on top of the fish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 12-15 minutes or until cooked (slightly rare or cooked through). Makes 4 servings