It's that time of year—the most wonderful time of year. The time for family, friends and, of course, food. Thanksgiving has come and gone, and so have the leftovers. Now we’re in the throes of the holiday season with more gatherings every weekend.
A 2015 study by CPG sales and marketing firm Acosta found that 72 percent of consumers planned to host a holiday party. In addition to parties with friends, I have three more enormous family feasts to tackle: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. My next-door neighbors who celebrate Hanukkah have eight nights of family, storytelling and, of course, latkes, jelly doughnuts and brisket. My family is part of the unusual crowd that has dinner around 1:00 in the afternoon on holidays, taking a break to digest before having dessert later in the evening. It’s no wonder, being inundated with so much food, that the average person puts on about a pound during the holidays.