By: Colleen DuVall

Family. Christmas cookies. No homework. What could be wrong with any of these homey images, right? Well if you want to be able to face the numbers on the scale come Jan. 17, you should have a game plan. Here are some smart tips for eating right over winter break.

Find your baseline

Do you know what your body mass index (BMI) is? It does matter. There are several sites that give you healthy ranges based on your age, height and gender. If you have a goal weight in mind, you can type in that, too. You can also check out how many calories to consume to maintain that ideal weight.

Tally up calories

Count your calories! Even a harmless little packet of soy sauce contains 15. They all add up. So keep a food diary. It could prove to be enlightening, as well. With all the celebrations going on, it will be tempting to splurge. But you might want to rethink that second helping when you get to tallying your figures for the day. Load up on the squash, corn, and cranberries first. Don’t deny yourself the pie – just don’t have the biggest piece.

Try one of these smart (and snazzy) drink choices: Light beer (55- 100 calories), white wine spritzer (80 calories), or a rum and Diet Coke with a twist of lime (100 calories).

Explore organic vendors

There’s no excuse for not getting fresh, yummy produce from your local farmer all year long, even in Wisconsin. Check out the Milwaukee County Winter Farmer’s Market on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon at State Fair Park. It “offers a convenient location and a great variety of vendors that ensures a steady stream of customers,” David Kozlowski, co-owners of Pinehold Gardens said on the website. “It’s a good place to be on even the chilliest mornings.”

Other great local organic options include Outpost Natural Foods Co-op and Riverwest Food Co-op (addresses below). If you sign up for a  co-op membership, you can enjoy some great sales.

It really is all about moderation. It stands to reason that the longer you deprive yourself, the more apt you are to finally give in, and big time. So allow yourself a treat. But be sure that most of your intake is coming from healthy, balanced food sources. You certainly don’t have to skimp on flavor, either. Eating organic whenever possible has many long-term health benefits and your taste buds will be happier, too.

Outpost Natural Foods

www.outpost.coop

100 E. Capitol Drive

Milwaukee, WI 53212

Phone (414) 961-2597

7000 W. State St.

Wauwatosa, WI 53213

Phone (414) 778-2012

2826 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.

Milwaukee, WI 53207

Phone (414) 755-3202

Riverwest Co-op

www.riverwestcoop.org

733 East Clarke Street

Milwaukee, WI 53212

(414) 264-7933