Healthy Eating Tips For the Holidays (and Year Round)
The phrase “healthy eating” rarely goes along with Thanksgiving or Christmas recipes, as many are sugary, processed, and altogether very easy to overeat. You needn’t abstain entirely to stay healthy around the holidays, but you can indulge mindfully with these 7 strategies.
1. Start your day right.
Eating a healthy, nourishing breakfast sets the stage for a healthy day. Our Omelet Muffin Recipe provides a delicious, easy to grab-and-go, protein-rich meal that keeps you full and focused all morning.
2. Take control whenever you can.
If you’re attending a dinner party, bring your own dish. You can feel confident that at least one holiday recipe is healthy. Try our Gluten-Free Nut Stuffing or Almond Crust Pumpkin Pie. If you dine out, offer to choose the restaurant and research the menu beforehand. You have countless opportunities around the holidays to eat healthily.
3. Eat before you go.
Arriving hungry becomes an invitation to devour unhealthy foods and lose all inhibitions. Before you leave, have a light snack or even a light meal — try out some Homemade Trail Mix or Almond Power Bars. You’ll arrive at the gathering pleasantly satiated, but ready to eat once the food finally arrives.
4. Host your own event.
Having control over your dinner party or Christmas Eve get-together can make healthy eating easier. These gatherings don’t need to be time-consuming either. You can even slip in healthy desserts (such as our Avocado Chocolate Pudding) and they’ll probably never know it’s healthy.
5. Don’t let yourself get hungry.
Keep an “emergency pack” nearby with healthy snacks like raw almonds, so you’re not as tempted to eat cookies, and to you keep your hunger at bay.
6. Plan ahead.
Schedule an evening for meal prep for the upcoming week and get your whole family involved. Don’t let yourself get so hungry that you’re tempted to devour the candy cane cookies your co-worker brought to the office.
7. Be mindful when you indulge.
Practice mindfulness — really taste that food, be in the moment while you savor it, and get right back to healthy eating after you indulge.
