How to enjoy meals on the 18th without neglecting food? This is what experts recommend.

September has already started. And like every year Millions of people are preparing to celebrate the 18th with family and friends. In many cases, more than one day of that week or even month .

Corn cake, empanadas, mote con huesillo, traditional sweets and classic roast are just some of the preparations. which are usually consumed on these dates.

But beyond the typical flavors of Chilean cuisine that have been passed down for generations, the excess of food can unbalance the habits of food and ultimately intensify the problems of health .

Consequently, specialists from different fields gave their recommendations to enjoy the festivities without neglecting well-being of the organism.

In a conversation with La Tercera, Carolina Pye, academic of the School of Nutrition and Dietetics of the University of los Andes, states that “The first thing is to be clear about the number of celebrations that are going to take place” .

“Being a long weekend, you may get together as a family and eat every day. So you have to manage . For example: “Are we going to have lunch and dinner? “. Once you have defined the celebratory events, you have to think that the idea is not to overdo it with food and try to provide healthy options. “.

In general, The most common preparation on these dates is the typical barbecue, which usually includes sausages such as wieners or pieces of beef or pork. they are high in fat.

“If we consider that maybe it will be there, because maybe it’s a family tradition or whatever, (It is important) that the accompaniments, both the dish itself and everything that is eaten during the preparation of the roast, are a little healthier and less caloric “.

In this sense, the expert suggests that while eating, “You have to worry that at least half of your plate is taken up by vegetables and vegetables, not by meat or other accompaniments that are thrown on the grill” .

At the same time, Pye comments that the diversity of colors is fundamental and points out that “potatoes mayo and corn with mayonnaise are not considered salads” even if they are preparations that are eaten cold”.

However, quite often national holiday lunches or dinners also tend to include empanadas or corn cakes to name a few foods.

Is it necessary to remove them completely? The nutritionist says no. . Alright, the key is to watch the portions .

“First of all, you have to be very clear that, for example, a corn pancake or an empanada already contains the calories of a meal . That is to say, if you eat (full servings) of both, you are already eating twice what you probably need . If you are an adult and you want to enjoy everything, you are going to have to reduce the amounts of everything you want to eat”.

As part of this strategy, some options might be to eat half an empanada instead of a whole or put half a chorizo ​​in bread without crumbs .

“And also be careful with alcohol, because the earthquake and all those typical chilean drinks contain a lot of sugar (…) it also allows us to go beyond what we really need”.

Regarding sauces such as mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard Pye points out that while ingredient percentages may vary from brand to brand, These are usually high in components such as fats and sugar. .

“If you have a sausage that’s already high in fat and you put these seasonings on it, it’s a lot more loaded. Of all the options, there you can maybe opt for the pebre or the stone pig, which are vegetable based and although they contain a little oil, they will clearly have less what mayonnaise There you relieve, in addition to bringing a little fiber, which generates less absorption of this fat”.

Yael Toporowicz, IntegraMédica nutritionist, warns that be careful when “consuming large amounts of food in short feeding periods” because if different from these preparations are used in larger portions than usual, easily “we could arrive at 3,000 or 3,500 calories” .

Although the number of calories a person can consume daily varies depending on several factors, such as age, gender, energy expenditure and health status, etc., generally speaking, an estimate of about 2,000 .

However, Toporowicz points out that “this is very variable” and depends on each particular case. .

It’s just one of the reasons why it is advisable to go to a specialist to assess the eating habits and diets that can be adopted .

Although the specific, isolated fact of consuming more calories than needed should not in itself pose a major problem in a healthy person – as the body generally controls intake once a certain point is reached – , there are some cases in which the expert recommends greater precautions .

“When we talk about pathologies, there we have to be particularly careful. Especially, for example, in people with hypertension, because of course excessive consumption of sausages on these dates means a higher sodium content. . It can make things worse. And in the case of diabetics, due to the excessive consumption of carbohydrates, it is also necessary to be careful with this type of food. “.

Similarly, Toporowicz and Pye claim that The fact that a product is not of animal origin does not automatically mean that it is healthier, since it may contain a high percentage of ingredients such as oil and flour. according to the academic of the University of the Andes.

“Afterwards, If you’re thinking, “I’m going to replace a traditional sausage with a vegan sausage, because it’s healthier,” you should check very carefully what it is and how it’s made. this sausage,” he adds.

National holidays not only result in the incorporation of foods that are not usually eaten in the routine, but often tend to trigger changes in the amounts of food offered to diners and even meal times.

Faced with this scenario, Toporowicz recommends that for children, “the ideal is to keep their usual portions, with meals that can be served , like maybe a corn cake or an asado”.

“There obviously avoid sausages, which are not healthy “, he underlines.

At the same time, he comments that “Also It often happens that the roasts usually start later, while the children eat lunch earlier. There perhaps we adapt a little to the more familiar schedules and take care of your habits.

For some people, The arrival of the holidays can lead to many doubts about what can be eaten, in what quantities and under what types of circumstances, what can -Ultimately- trigger episodes of anxiety or even stress .

The academic of the School of Psychology of the Adolfo Ibáñez University and director of the Center for the Study of Eating Behavior (CECA), Fernanda Díaz, says that such scenarios could likely be the result of power issues .

“I’m not necessarily talking about a disorder, but about a kind of problem related to the subject (…) I believe one of the benefits is being able to eat with some awareness (…) it is important to give yourself time to eat, to digest (…) enjoy the conversations that can take place between the two dances and laughter.

Below this line, the expert’s sentence with a key point to consider: “It’s not a party just to eat, it’s to have a good time, share with others, be able to see each other . Afterwards, maybe look at it from that side and not so much just because you’re going to eat a lot or a little I think maybe that can help you deal with it a little healthier “.