HUNTINGTON -- A registered dietitian and author is offering tips to survive the upcoming holiday season.

Elizabeth Somer is the author of "Eat Your Way to Happiness." She offers these strategies to survive to stay healthy over the holidays:

BE CHOOSEY. Decide ahead of time to attend the parties and eat only those foods that are most important to the tradition of the holidays.

SAMPLE, DON'T GORGE. The enjoyment of tasting new foods comes in the first few bites. Savor the flavor of one appetizer, but don't eat the whole tray.

BE POLITE, NOT NICE. Rehearse ahead of time how you will gracefully say no to food offers, coaxing and coercion.

HAVE A SPECIFIC PLAN. Decide ahead of time exactly what and how much you will eat and drink. Stick with your plan.

JUST SAY NO TO ALCOHOL. Even one beer or wine spritzer can breakdown your defenses and lead to overeating. Avoid alcohol altogether, or if you must, dilute your drinks, or alternate one alcoholic beverage with two nonalcoholic beverages.

LOOSEN UP. Give yourself permission to attend a party, even if you don't eat or drink.

NEVER ARRIVE HUNGRY. You are less likely to overeat and more likely to feel relaxed and ready to enjoy the festivities if you have a healthful snack or mini-meal before a party.

THINK VEGGIES. Fill your plate with vegetables, fruit, low-fat crackers and cheese, and an extra-lean slice of meat from the buffet table and enjoy the company guilt-free.

IT'S A MYTH that food has to be dripping in fat to taste good. You can cut fat and never even miss it. Better yet, it doesn't take any more time to prepare low-fat foods. For example, most people know to remove the skin from chicken before cooking, use broth and wine for sautéing instead of oil or broth instead of butter in your stuffing, and to use cornstarch and broth instead of butter and flour for a roux when making creamed sauces. You can also cut fat by adding more vegetables and salads to the center stage. You can also:

Use potatoes instead of cream to make a rich and creamy soup or

Use fruit puree. Use baby prunes or apple butter in place of all or part of the fat in baked goods, such as breads and muffins.

Somer is a registered dietitian and the author of nine books. She appears frequently on national television shows, including The View, The Today Show, CNN, the WB Morning Buzz.

National Video