We celebrate just about everything—birthdays, anniversaries, vacations, even the end of a work week—with food and drink. It only seems like there are more opportunities to stray from your diet between October and January; in reality there is almost always something going on that can challenge your willpower.

Here’s some good news: Your healthy eating habits don’t have to go down the drain just because you’re getting together with friends and family.

I’m a big advocate of “everything in moderation,” so the first thing I’ll tell you is that having a good time and eating healthfully are not polar opposites. You can do both! Here are my favorite ideas for taking good care of yourself and your family nutritionally without feeling deprived.
Tips for celebrations away from home

Be extra kind to your body before temptation strikes. If you know you’re going to lose control over your eating habits at a big event, then eat differently during the week or two leading up to it. Go easy on your fat intake, and increase your daily amount of fruits and vegetables.

Try not to starve yourself all day before going to a party or a meal at someone else’s home. When you’re extremely hungry, you’ll either eat whatever is in front of you the minute you walk in the door, or you’ll overeat without making the best food choices. You’re better off munching on a handful of nuts or a small piece of cheese before you leave your home.

Offer to bring a side dish. That way you will know that there will be at least one thing to eat that’s a little on the healthy side. I made fruit kabobs for my son’s Halloween party, and the kids went crazy for them. Just thread fresh melon balls onto wooden skewers. Then flip over half of the empty melon shell, and stick the skewers into it for a festive presentation. If you’re short on time, buy the pre-cut melon and stick the skewers in a Styrofoam ball from the craft store or invert a colander. When fruit is presented in an enticing way, people want to eat it.

Grab a plate and fill it up. Grazing a buffet table makes it difficult to keep track of what you’re eating. Instead, plate your food all at once. A good rule of thumb is to divide your plate into quarters: fill 1/4 of it with protein, 1/4 with starchy carbohydrates, and 1/2 with vegetables.

Alternate your cocktails. Drink a full glass of water or club soda between alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is dehydrating and it packs a lot of calories. Did you know it’s closer in calories to fat than anything else?

Help yourself to a brownie and the apple pie. I’m always cutting things into small amounts so that I only take a little. If that won’t work (cutting fruit pies into tiny slivers is next to impossible), try having a teaspoon or fork full of everything. Or share a dessert with a friend. Usually just a small taste of something will satisfy your sweet tooth and make you feel like you didn’t have to compromise.

Tips for hosting a healthier gathering
I find it funny when people tell me that they think healthy food tastes bad. It tastes great when you know how to do it.

Look for ways to make healthier versions of traditional recipes. I roast my turkey with dried fruit, apple cider, onions and shelled chestnuts. When the turkey is done, I strain the fat from the broth and puree it using a hand blender. It’s a delicious low-fat alternative to homemade or store-bought gravy. By the way, in these economic times it’s good to stretch your food. So save the turkey carcass, and combine it with vegetables and rice for wonderful soup.

Serve low-fat cheeses. Most taste so good that your guests won’t even realize it’s a healthier version. For instance, I’ve never had anyone detect when I’ve used fat-free feta in a recipe.

Play “hide the flax.” I’m always tossing ground flax seed into foods. One of my favorite tips is to use it as a thickener for tomato sauce or soup.

Serve a lot of side dishes. That’s a great way to load up on vegetables or grain-based foods. Along with a main course of poultry or fish, I prepare a lot of side dishes with beans, lentils and multiple grains. For flavor and color, toss in some cranberries. Be careful about adding nuts, as some people have severe allergies to them.

Cut the fat by going Greek. Greek yogurt is a wonderful substitute for sour cream. Try it in your favorite onion dip. Or, I like to mix it with a low-sodium packaged taco mix then add my own salt to taste. For a creative salmon garnish, cut lemons in half and scoop out the pulp. Fill the lemon cups with a blend of strained Greek yogurt, lemon juice and dill.
Secretly serve breakfast for dessert. Ground high fiber cereal makes a delicious and nutritious pie crust for cheesecake.

After the party is over
None of us are perfect, and there will be times when you over-indulge. The tendency is to feel badly and restrict your calorie intake the next day. Don’t do it!
If you go from a high-calorie day to a low-calorie day, your body will think it is starving and your metabolism will slow down. Even worse, the next time you have a high-calorie day, your body will try to store those extra calories as fat.
The best thing to do after you’ve eaten too much the day before is to cleanse your body by eating lots of fruits and vegetables, and by drinking plenty of fluids.

One last piece of advice
The next time you see a great deal on holiday candy, look straight ahead and keep walking! Let someone else take advantage of the sale. If you buy it for the office, you’ll only be sabotaging everyone’s efforts to eat better. Do yourself and your colleagues a favor—bring in nuts or dried fruit instead.