The end of the year is here, and the various celebrations and invitations to events that are usually received during this season can cause us to overeat high-calorie foods, such as panettone, and, consequently, to gain weight. Karyn Reyna, a nutritionist at our clinic, gives us some recommendations to maintain a healthy diet during the Christmas and New Year festivities.

Regarding the consumption of panettone:

• Be careful with portions. We can eat panettone with butter and also have chocolate; however, we must be careful not to exceed the portions. Many people start eating panettone the days before and after these dates, and it is advisable to limit its consumption to Christmas and New Year’s dinners. We can eat a small slice of panettone with a very thin layer of butter, accompanied by a small cup of chocolate of approximately 250 ml.
• Consider the daily calories that can be consumed. A 100-gram slice of panettone contains 300 to 370 calories. If we add 1 tablespoon of butter (100 calories) and chocolate milk to which condensed milk or sugar is usually added (250 calories more), we get a total of approximately 720 calories. A woman should consume 1500 calories a day, so ingesting this amount of calories in a single meal can cause weight gain. Remember that a healthy breakfast should not exceed 300 to 350 calories.
• Take into account the schedules. It is recommended, preferably, to consume panettone at breakfast and no more than one thin slice, with skim milk and without many additives. Drink milk without sugar and panettone without butter.

Children’s nutrition during the holidays:

• It is necessary to take care of children’s food, especially in terms of quantities. We should reduce the frequency of consumption and give them half or a third of the portions of panettone or chocolate that an adult would consume.
• Young children should eat dinner early, to respect their sleep cycle.

What type of dinner or lunch is recommended for older adults?

• In the case of older adults, a turkey or chicken fillet is recommended. Do not give them red meat, pork, or seafood. They should consume proteins and a portion of carbohydrates, it can be a puree, a small portion of rice, and a healthy portion of fresh vegetables.
• It is recommended to give them only dinner or panettone with chocolate, but not all together. It is also advisable for older adults to have dinner early, around 9:00 p.m., so that they can digest the food better and sleep peacefully.

Karyn Reyna
Nutritionist at Clínica Ricardo Palma