Guest of "Sans Rendez-vous" as Christmas Eve approaches, nutritionist Patrick Serog explains which foods to choose during the Christmas food marathon so as not to gain weight.
A kind of survival guide for those who are devastated to see the number displayed on their scales after the holidays.
Blinis, foie gras, capon, cheese, log, chocolate, clementines, not to mention alcohol… The end of year celebrations are conducive to generally (too) hearty meals.
And inevitably after several excesses, the consequences are found on the scale.
But fortunately, it is possible to "combine the fun of the holidays and the line".
In "Without an Appointment", the nutritionist doctor Patrick Serog, also author of
Break the locks that prevent you from losing weight: To put an end to the emotional pounds,
delivers his tips (and his menu) to limit as much as possible the damage of the Christmas Eve.
>> Find all of Sans rendez-vous in replay and podcast here
The aperitif, the "hardest" and most dangerous moment for the line
It is 8 pm, you arrive at the "scene of the crime", where the first stage of what you already know to be a real food marathon will take place.
And the first step is far from a small routine warm-up: the aperitif is "the hardest moment", explains at the microphone of Europe 1 Patrick Serog.
You are hungry, especially if you made the mistake of starving yourself before, and on the table is oilseeds.
You hear the call of Cashews, Pecans and other pistachios.
But it is a trap in which we must especially not fall, because they contain on average "50% of fat".
"When you take a handful of peanuts, you've already put almost two tablespoons of oil in your stomach."
Instead of starting the evening straight away with a caloric massacre, prefer small vegetables, such as cucumber sticks, or small pieces of salmon.
Be careful with tarama though: although it is made from dried cod roe, it also contains a lot of cream and salt, making it "much fatter".
In general, "the aperitif should not interfere with enjoying the rest of the meal. It is therefore better to focus on the latter."
The starter and its allies: seafood
After an hour of chatting between two pieces of salmon, and sometimes waiting for the latecomer (s), things start to get serious.
You sit down for the first round: the entrance.
After having resisted oilseeds, it is (finally) possible to give in to the sirens of a dish: foie gras.
After this pleasure, turn to your allies: seafood. "Apart from the large oysters which are a little fatty", you can let go with "whelks and shrimps".
We can "eat at will but we are quickly satisfied because they are quite rich in protein", summarizes the specialist.
And above all, seafood has almost no impact on the scale.
On the other hand, do not accompany them with bread or butter, and even less mayonnaise.
Or as little as possible.
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The main course and the strategic choice of turkey
At 9:30 p.m. a ringing is heard between two sentences from your uncle that you only see once a year, it is the oven bell.
The main course is ready.
According to tradition, the poultry which will take center stage a few moments later in the center of the table is a capon or a turkey.
But "there is a big difference" between the two: "the turkey is a lean meat, so if you want to pay attention to its shape, you will prefer it to the capon."
It is also possible to opt for a guinea fowl, recalls Patrick Serog at the microphone of Europe 1. On the other hand, the goose is to be avoided.
If you have no choice and a chestnut capon makes its entrance, don't panic, you can still avoid eating the skin and wings.
Because "this is where the fat is concentrated during cooking".
Cheese, when limiting yourself is allowed
A few minutes after having done honor to the main course, take two seconds to blow, before facing the cheese.
A highly strategic step, because it is indeed the only time of the meal when you can freely and truly limit yourself without upsetting the person who has just spent the day behind the stove, laughs Patrick Serog.
There is no preference here, "all the cheeses are fatty" he recalls.
So, if for you to go without cheese is unthinkable, limit yourself to 60 grams, or "a quarter of Camembert".
As for its traditional accompaniment, bread, it is necessary to choose one low in fiber.
"The traditional baguette" is an excellent choice, unlike sandwich bread which, like all industrial breads, is much fatter.
The log, the moment to have fun
At the stroke of 11:30 p.m., after having faced many temptations, you can finally let your guard down a little, well almost.
For the traditional log, there is no miracle trick - apart from not taking it.
Regardless of its composition, "it doesn't change anything at all", says Patrick Serog.
And "it is better to have a good slice of a cake that you like rather than buying a dessert that you don't like".
An inevitable weight gain?
After this feast, all you have to do is hold back in front of the chocolates and other sweets that could destroy all your efforts and you are out of the woods.
Or maybe not: "I'm officially announcing it, there will be weight gain" says the specialist.
But weight gain does not rhyme with gaining weight, specifies Patrick Serog.
"During the holiday season, you will take between two and four kilograms of water because of the higher concentration of salt in the food consumed."
Additional water that your body will naturally eliminate within a few days of itself, provided it returns to a normal eating rhythm.
Patrick Serog also takes the opportunity to twist the blow to a "fantasy" about getting fat.
A single food is not to be pointed out, "it is a whole that will make you fat".
A process that cannot be done overnight.