The holidays are always so exciting and so hard at the same time!
There are so many parties, so much comfort food, so much alcohol, even.
It is difficult to stay on the healthy side of things when it comes to diet, especially.
In this post, we are so excited to share with you some tips for healthy eating over the Holidays that won’t break the bank, that you will enjoy and that your kids will thrive in!
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Tips for Healthy Eating over the Holidays
The key to healthy eating during holidays is to focus on the good, not on the bad.
Don’t keep telling yourself that you can’t eat this or that you can’t have that.
Instead, focus on how you can make holiday food and treats healthier.
Let me give you some examples here.
Tip #1:
Healthy eating around the holidays involves having and offering healthy snacks throughout the day.
One thing my kids absolutely LOVE is for me to cut up some veggies, put them on a tray on the kitchen counter and let them munch on whatever they want all day.
I include broccoli, baby carrots, sweet bell peppers, snap peas and cucumber slices.
They don’t even ask for dressing!
They just stop by and grab something to munch on.
They also love sliced apples with delicious honey such as Gold Bee Nutrition drizzled on and ground cinnamon sprinkled on them.
This kind of snacking curbs their appetite and they are getting vitamins and minerals to offset the other holiday eating.
Tip #2:
Always include a scrumptious salad with one meal (lunch or dinner).
Find any good and affordable veggies that are in season to make some delicious salads.
There are many creative seasonal salad recipes online, too!
Take a look at the sesame salad we made with avocado. No avocado in season? No worries!
Make cauliflower rice! It’s the perfect yummy side salad (side). 🙂
By knowing that snacking is taken care of and that at least on meal will include a salad (as the entire meal or as a side dish), your body will help you, especially with the holiday parties where there isn’t much control over the menu.
Healthy Eating through the Holidays
Tip #3:
Don’t give up on holiday desserts! That’s right!
Instead, always choose to make holiday recipes that are healthier than the usual fattening and sugar-laden holiday desserts.
This is on of my favorite tips for healthy eating over the Holidays!
You don’t deprive yourself from those delicious treats, but when you make them, find healthier alternatives.
It was super easy for me to substitute ghee for butter and unbromated unbleached flour for regular white flour.
I also look into making recipes that call for natural sugars like dates or fruit.
Not only at they great for sweetness, but also for flavor!
See how we made a delicious loaf of cranberry bread and how we made grain-free Christmas cookies!
We didn’t deprive ourselves and we enjoyed our desserts without the guilt and without the bloating afterwards!
It is totally worth is!
The 4-H Food Smart Families Program
Tip #4:
Don’t just make the holidays easier to digest (pun intended), but actually look at making these changes permanent for you and your family!
Look into your community to join the 4-H Food Smart Families program!
4-H offers wonderful courses and classes for kids to learn how to grow food, how to choose better food items at the store and how to cook cost-effective and healthy meals for their families.
They offer more tips for healthy eating during the holidays and beyond!
The 4-H Food Smart Families program targets families eligible for or receiving SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and/or WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) benefits and teaches them how to plan, shop and prepare healthy meals on a budget.
It is such a great program!
Since 2011, UnitedHealthcare and 4-H have partnered together to deliver healthy living programs to more than 340,000 youth and their families in 14 states.
- The Food Smart Families program includes two components:
- Empowering youth and their families by equipping them with the knowledge to make healthy living part of their everyday lives through nutrition education, cooking skills and food budgeting skills to bring more affordable, nutritious foods into their households.
- Connecting families with nutrition assistance resources in their community.
blurb healthy eating choice holiday
Additional Resources:
Thank you for visiting our Tips for Healthy Eating over the Holidays post!
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