8 Strategies to Eat Healthy During the Holidays

With these 8 strategies to eat healthy during the holidays, you will less likely fall for sweets and treats.

We all know that it is easy to get wrapped up in holiday celebrations. From family gatherings to office parties, there are plenty of events during the holiday season and lots of food too!

Fortunately, there are a few strategies that you can adopt that will help you maintain your healthy eating habits this holiday season.

With these useful strategies, you can enjoy your holidays while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A healthy eating approach to the holiday’s fits with your goals and your current plans.

Ways to Eat Healthy

Pace Yourself

While eating is an important part of the holidays, remember there are other ways to maintain health. 

While decadent foods can lead us to crave more, one of the key tips for staying healthier over the holidays is to pace yourself at mealtimes. 

Eating healthy during the holidays is a two-front battle, with tempting food options both at home and at parties.

Manage Food Portions

To keep your health in check during the holidays, have one plate of regular-sized meals every time you sit down for festive meals. 

If you have eaten smaller meals and snacks before your festive feast, you are less likely to overeat at your celebration.

Be Proactive

If the food is served later than usual, have a smaller snack during normal eating times, and have slightly smaller portions of food at the time of the meal. 

It is also important to avoid skipping meals to allow yourself to eat more later in the day. If you are having sweets, reduce the number of other carbohydrates during your meals, such as potatoes and bread.

Be Choicy

Have these special foods in smaller amounts, but avoid things that can be had year-round, such as mashed potatoes. 

Consider choosing items unique to the holiday season, rather than eating foods that can be had anytime during the year. 

Scan your dining room buffet or table, and pick out a couple of holiday favorites to spend your calories on, rather than foods you could eat any day of the year.

Don’t Binge

Enjoy holiday-themed dishes you cannot have at any other time of year, such as stuffing and pumpkin pie. 

The holidays are coming up fast, and you know that you are going to feel the temptation to binge on all your favorite foods with no limits.

Minimize Sugar

With Halloween candy, Thanksgiving meals, and dinners on Christmas Day and Hannukah, eating right through the holidays can be challenging. 

When eating around the holidays, you want to avoid overconsumption of carbohydrates and sugary foods.

Eat Regularly

Eating regularly helps you to avoid bingeing, or eating too much at one time. 

It is better to eat more mindfully when you can rather than stressing about eating each meal and snack with the greatest focus, especially around holidays. 

Having a healthy snack before your holiday feast or dinner may help curb your overeating, or it may even cause you to more deeply enjoy what you have eaten, as you will not be so starved by the time it is dinnertime and quickly shoving the food in your mouth.

Eat Protein

If you are going to a party that might not include a full dinner, eat a nutrient-dense, protein-rich dinner before arriving–it will keep you from trying to keep up with the caloric high-calorie finger foods. 

In conclusion, whether you are hosting a dinner party or event or attending one, try out these tips to make your festivities healthier. From stuffing and turkey to sweet treats such as cakes and cookies, clients find it easier to set aside their healthier eating habits during the holidays to let their families indulge.

Final Thoughts on Strategies to Eat Healthy During the Holidays

Staying on track with healthy eating during the holiday season can feel like an uphill battle. The temptations of indulgent foods and busy schedules make it all too easy to abandon your usual diet.

I have experiences this too and I can’t count how many times I gained holiday weight with regret.

However, with some planning, discipline, and creativity, I maintain my health goals without depriving myself of holiday fun and flavors.

How do I do it? I focus on incorporating nutritious fare along with treasured treats. Be choosey about sweets so you can savor special ones without overdoing it.

Try some of the tips in this post to stay active, manage portions, and reduce stress related eating. Remind yourself that one celebratory season won’t derail your efforts if you get right back on track in January.

Going into the holidays with strategies, restraint, and the right mindset will help you emerge in the New Year feeling accomplished, not regretful.

With a balanced approach, you can enjoy the foods you love while still being good to your body.