Happy December!

December 1, 2020

With the holiday season officially upon us, now is the perfect time to start thinking about healthy ways to navigate what is often a time of food-overload!

Top Tips for Eating Healthy During the Holidays

• Don’t skip breakfast.  The most important meal of the day starts your metabolism revving early in the morning.  Skipping meals is a sure-fire way to overindulge later in the day.

• Try to eat a salad or bowl of broth-based soup before most meals.  Also, make sure vegetables take up half of your plate, especially at dinner.

• Keep minimal baked goods on hand this year.  Only bake enough to give away or use for one holiday get-together.  Limit taste-testing as you go.

• Use a rating system during Hanukkah, Christmas, and other holiday meals.  With so many different dishes, decide which ones are your favorites and stick to those. 

• While get-togethers will certainly be fewer and smaller due to COVID this season, if you are hosting a small group, here are some keys for serving healthy fare:
  • Beverages: Make sure to have low-calorie beverages, diet sodas, and seltzers on hand.  Also, offer up 100% fruit juices as alternatives to wine or beer. 
  • Appetizers: Try raw vegetables for a colorful platter with crunch. For dips, offer salsa or try plain yogurt or Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Low fat cheese cubes or slices go well with whole grain crackers. Pretzels are a non-fat alternative to chips.
  • Main Dishes: Bake, broil, roast, or grill foods instead of frying.  Offer salads and vegetables, with dressings and sauces served on the side. 
  • Dessert: Forego the cakes and pies and try fresh fruit and sorbet for healthy dessert options.  If you do decide to bake, try some of the substitutions listed below.

While making healthy food choices during the holidays will make you feel good and stay on track when it comes to your health, making sure to carve out time for exercise will also help keep you fit and reduce stress. Let’s make the 2020 Holiday Season the best one yet!