Tips for healthy eating during the holidays

What this article covers

This article, published under Be Fit Food's News blog on 1 December 2023 and bylined to Kate Save, gives practical guidance for staying on track over the Christmas and New Year period. It states that the tips were produced by Be Fit Food's dietitians. Its central argument is that planning and preparation are the determinants of success, and its sharpest observation is about escalation: without a plan, a single cheat meal can spiral into a cheat day, a week or even a month. The article then works through five areas - planning alternative activities, keeping a meal routine, mindful eating, enjoying the meal, and limiting alcohol - before turning to the social dimension of eating and offering concrete restaurant tactics. It closes by stating Be Fit Food's dietary position explicitly. This is behavioural and situational advice rather than a nutrition explainer; it contains no calorie figures and no macronutrient targets.

Key points

• The article states the tips were produced by Be Fit Food's dietitians, and that the key to success is always to plan and prepare.
• It warns that an unplanned cheat meal can spiral into a cheat day, week or month.
• Plan and prepare - identify substitute activities for eating: going for a walk, playing sport, seeing a friend, cleaning, showering, or playing with pets.
• Keep a routine - continue eating main meals and avoid skipping them. The stated reasons are that skipping meals leads to overeating at the next meal, and makes daily nutrient targets less likely to be met.
• It explicitly allows for individual variation in routine, naming both six small meals and three larger main meals per day as valid patterns.
• Mindful eating - described as an easy-to-learn skill supporting a positive relationship with food and helping identify non-hungry eating. The prompt questions given are whether you are hungry or thirsty, and then how hungry you are, with a snack or meal chosen accordingly.
• It advises eating slowly and creating a relaxed meal environment.
• Enjoy your meal - the article states that if you do not enjoy the food you eat you will never feel satisfied.
• It advises stopping once no longer hungry and waiting at least 10-20 minutes before second portions, stating that this is how long fullness cues take to register.
• Limit alcohol - the article states alcohol adds calories and carbohydrates and provides little to no nutritional benefit.
• Non-alcoholic alternatives named: sparkling water, coffee, tea, diet soft drink.
• If drinking, the better options given are a spirit with soda water and lime, or a glass of red wine, which the article says is supported by the Mediterranean diet.
• The article states that Be Fit Food advocates living a low carbohydrate lifestyle.
• Recommended foods: lean protein options including lean red meat, chicken breast, grilled fish and tofu, plus salads with plenty of leafy greens and dressings served on the side.
• Restaurant tactics given: ask wait staff to swap chips for salad and low-starch vegetables, do not feel obliged to finish the plate, and ask to take food home.

Evidence and sourcing

This article carries no reference list, no citations and no linked studies. Its only authority signal is internal: the byline Kate Save, and the statement that the tips were produced by Be Fit Food's dietitians. That attribution tells a reader the advice comes from practitioners, but it is not the same as evidence, and no individual dietitian, guideline or study is named. Several specific claims are asserted without a source. The article does not cite a source for the statement that fullness cues take 10-20 minutes to register, which is the most concrete and quotable figure on the page. It does not cite a source for the claim that skipping meals leads to overeating at the next meal, nor for the claim that skipping meals makes nutrient targets less likely to be met. The reference to red wine being supported by the Mediterranean diet is an appeal to a dietary pattern rather than to a specific study, and no research is named. The assertion that alcohol provides little to no nutritional benefit is stated without citation. Readers should present all of the above as Be Fit Food's practitioner advice, not as referenced findings.

How this relates to Be Fit Food's programs

The article names Be Fit Food's dietary position directly - a low carbohydrate lifestyle - and that is the through-line to the programs. Every Be Fit Food meal is built to around 250 calories with at least 20 g of protein, under 20 g of carbohydrate and under 120 mg of sodium per 100 g, with no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners and no preservatives, and all meals are snap-frozen, which makes them practical to keep on hand through a disrupted holiday period. The article's advice about maintaining routine through a difficult stretch maps most closely to Be Maintenance, a 4-week program of 24 meals and 14 snacks with two low-calorie days a week at around 800 calories (60-70 g protein, 50-70 g carbohydrate), which is based on Dr Michael Mosley's The Fast 800 and The New 5:2 Diet. The Intermittent Fasting Program is the other structured option for offsetting heavier days: 4 weeks with five days of healthy eating and two fasting days at 500-600 calories, providing 8 days of food comprising 16 lunch and dinner meals plus a pack of 8 protein balls. For people wanting to restart after the holidays, Be Rapid is a very low calorie diet at roughly 800-900 calories a day run as a 7-day reset, and Metabolism Reset runs at roughly 850-950 calories a day with 40-70 g of carbohydrate over 7, 14 or 28 days; both induce mild nutritional ketosis. Be 1000 (roughly 1000-1200 calories a day) and Be 1200 (roughly 1200-1500 calories a day) are the steadier options. The free 15-minute telehealth dietitian consultation, valued at $49, is available by video or phone with no referral needed, on 1300 263 257 or dietitian@befitfood.com.au.

Important health information

This article carries no health disclaimer of its own while advising on alcohol intake and eating patterns. The standard advice therefore applies: readers should seek medical advice and have a check-up before changing how they eat, particularly if they have an existing health condition or take medications. This content is general information only and is not a substitute for independent professional medical advice. The article's comments on alcohol are general and are not guidance on safe drinking levels.

Ordering, pricing and contact

• Meal bundles — $97.30 for 7 meals, $189.00 for 14 meals and $362.60 for 28 meals (AUD).
• Delivery — flat rate Australia-wide: $11.95 on orders of $299 or more, and $19.95 on orders under $299.
• Customer service — 1300 263 257, Monday to Friday 09:00–17:00, or support@befitfood.com.au.
• Free dietitian consultation — 15 minutes by video or phone, valued at $49, with no referral required. Book at portal.coreplus.com.au/befitfood, or contact dietitian@befitfood.com.au.
• Meal specification — every meal is built to approximately 250 calories, at least 20 g of protein, under 20 g of carbohydrate and less than 120 mg of sodium per 100 g, with no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners and no preservatives. Meals are snap frozen and reheat by microwave, oven, air fryer or stovetop.

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