When you think about the holidays, what’s the first thing that pops into your mind? For me, it’s the food! I have so many fond childhood memories of Christmas meals with my family…baking holiday cookies with my mom, sisters, and brother…driving around looking at Christmas lights while sipping hot cocoa and eating cookies.
As I grew up, it became a real challenge to avoid going overboard on holiday treats, so I’ve implemented a few strategies to make it feel more manageable that I want to share with you.
9 Tips For Healthy Holiday Eating
1) Don’t expect perfection. Set realistic expectations for yourself during the holidays. Most likely, you will not eat completely perfectly every day between now and New Year’s. If you expect to be “perfect”, then when you do enjoy a treat, you’ll end up feeling like you failed. Feelings of failure lead to overeating and a negative spiral.
2) Be aware of feeling like you “deserve” to splurge during the holidays. On the opposite end of the perfection spectrum is feeling like you deserve to eat whatever you want because it’s the holidays. Some people think that they’ll just worry about eating healthy when January rolls around. Avoid making this mistake!
3) Decide in advance when you will enjoy a holiday treat. Ideally, try to decide at least 24 hours in advance when you will choose to enjoy a holiday treat. Think about when, where, and how many treats you will choose to enjoy. Then, enjoy the treat without any guilt!
4) Don’t “save up calories” before a holiday event. Instead of skipping meals the day of a holiday event, gathering, or party, be sure to eat a healthy meal or snack before attending. It’s so much easier to make wise choices when you aren’t famished!
5) Bring something healthy. When you are going to a holiday event, bring a healthy dish, appetizer, or dessert that you can share with others. Then you’ll know that there will be at least one healthy option for you to enjoy.
6) Make your own holiday treats. When you do want to enjoy a holiday treat, make your own treats that are full of nutrient-dense, good quality ingredients. These types of treats will help you to feel full and satisfied.
7) Limit alcohol consumption. Once you start drinking alcohol, your inhibitions lower and it’s more challenging to stick with your decision to make healthy choices. Therefore, limit the number of alcoholic drinks you consume, and space them out with glasses of water in between.
8) Move. By moving, being active, and exercising, you will feel better about yourself and your body. These positive feelings will make it easier to stick with healthy food choices.
9) Manage your stress. Identify your major sources of stress during the holidays and create a plan to deal with those stresses. In addition, be sure to set aside time for self-care or to do things that make you happy. When you feel calm and happy, you will be more likely to eat healthy.
Please share in the comments which of the healthy holiday eating tips is your favorite!
