The holidays are here and many people are turning into baking machines. I’ve even had feedback from my fellow mom’s that some of their husbands are the bakers of the family. With all the baked goods around, what is stopping us from eating them up and gaining the holiday pounds?

Here are some tips to prevent over-indulgence of your baked delicacies and stay in control during the holiday season:

#1. Chefs and bakers always state to try your food before you serve it. This is true. However, you can give a sample of your cookies/baked goods to your kids or spouse and have them be the judges.

#2. Just keep 1 taste-tester for yourself of what you bake. Then quickly wrap up the other baked goods in their bags, baskets, or bundles, so you don’t have such easy access to them while they are lying around the house.

#3. Instead of baking muffins or cupcakes, bake mini-loaves. The idea of eating an entire mini-loaf seems gluttonous. So that mini-loaf can prevent you from eating 1, 2, 3 or more cupcakes/muffins. And mini-loaves make great presents!

#4. Deliver those baked goods as soon as possible. Ideally, if you are planning a baking fest, try to deliver the baked goods the same day you bake them so that you get them out of the house.

#5. Forget leftovers. Yes: your family must love baking and eating the baked goods. However, getting the food out of the house is the goal. It’s OK not to have leftovers around for the family because other people will most likely be giving you baked goods, too. So wrap up all those baked goods into the presents and get them out of sight.

Hope you have a wonderful holiday season and enjoy your time spent with your loved ones. The season is all about giving, so give those delicious goods away Happy Holidays!

PS: The week of December 23^rd, I won’t be posting any blogs. I’ll be celebrating the holidays with my loved ones.

By Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN