Let’s Talk Food: Eating healthy through the holidays

Happy Halloween!

This also is the start of the holiday season, with buffet dinners and cocktail parties, and it’s when Americans gain about 1-2 pounds. If you don’t make an effort to get it off, those 2 pounds will stay on you, then next year another 2 pounds.

Here are some tips to get you through this wonderful time of eating:

1. Do not skip a meal before the party. It might make you overeat. If you have a breakfast with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, these high-fiber foods will help you from being so hungry.

2. Watch your portions. In our book, “Hawaii Healthy Me,” which we give to every fourth-grader on the island going to public school, we stress that half of our plate should consist of fruits and vegetables. If you do that, you will only have one-fourth of the plate for protein and one-fourth for carbohydrates.

3. Another thing we stress in “Hawaii Healthy Me” is chewing slowly and savoring every bite.

4. Wait 10 minutes before you go back to the buffet line, as it takes that long for your body to tell you whether you should have seconds or not.

5. Watch your portions. That piece of meat should be the size of a deck of cards, not overflowing off of your plate. The scoop of rice should be the size of a tennis ball, not half your plate.

6. If there are numerous desserts to choose from, just take a sliver of your favorites so you will be able to taste a bunch without stuffing yourself. I have an allergic reaction to wheat, which is in most desserts, so my choices are very limited unless I make the desserts myself with gluten-free flour.

7. After that heavy meal (hopefully you did not overeat), go for a walk or some other activity.

What helps eating sensibly is if you are able to, bring a dish you like that is full of dietary fiber and can fill you up, like this farro salad.

Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs

By Giada De Laurentils

Serves: 6

Combine in a medium saucepan:

4 cups water

1 1/2 cups farro (10 ounces)

2 teaspoon salt

Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl to cool.

Add to the farro and toss to combine:

1 pound tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1/4 cup snipped fresh chives

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Wine country affected by wild fires

The tremendous fires in Northern California, which includes the wine regions of Napa and Sonoma County, destroyed more than 3,500 homes and businesses and left many people homeless. It is so sad to see families go back to their neighborhoods and find just ashes where their home once stood. Not only did they lose their homes, but also possessions, many of them memories of their families.

As we watch the news and hear about them not having any prior warning to have the time to pack, or that they had only time to pick up a few things, you have to wonder if you were put in that same situation, what would you throw in your car before you escape?

For wine lovers, it is sad to hear about some of our favorite wineries.

Napa County winery area:

Signorello Vineyards Winery and the residence were completely destroyed, but the vineyard might have survived.

Stag’s Leap Winery, established in 1893, was impacted, but the extent of damage is still being assessed.

White Rock Vineyard, one of the oldest wineries, established in 1870, suffered a total loss of the winery, but the vineyard loss is unknown.

William Hill Estate Winery has cosmetic damage to the winery and vineyard damage is being assessed.

Darioush’s winery structure is OK.

Sonoma County wineries:

Paradise Ridge Winery’s winery suffered a total loss.

Nicholson Ranch’s wine was secured in its cellars and the damage done by the fire is fixable.

Chateau St. John’s main structure is still standing and appears to be unharmed. Damage to the outer buildings and vineyard are still being assessed.

Mayo Family Wineries had a home on the premises that was completely destroyed, but the winery was spared.

Gundlach Bundschu Winery also lost the family home on the property but the winery and structure were not destroyed.

Mendocino County:

Frey Vineyards Winery, one of the organic and biodynamic wines in the area, had its winery completely destroyed.

Oster Winery was completely destroyed.

Foodie bites

• The author of “Superconsumers” by the Harvard Business Press, Eddie Yoon, who I quoted in my column about the changing consumers of today, sent me an email that he is from Oahu and graduated from Punahou School in 1992. His parents still live in Kuliouou Valley and spend “increasingly more and more time” on the Big Island.

• The Hawaii Community College Cafeteria is open today through Friday. Call 934-2559 for specials of the day and to check if they have fresh fish and poke or chirashi bowls.

• This year, the 14th annual Hilo Medical Center Foundation Wine, Cheese, Chocolate &MORE event is slated for 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Mokuola Room at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. Call the foundation at 932-3636 for tickets.

Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.