Whether it be the cozy decorations, yummy food, or joyful company, the holidays have always been a time I look forward to. However, the holidays can also be a very busy time for lots of people filled with gatherings, parties, and celebrations. Throughout this season, it can be easy to forget about or put aside healthful eating due to being too busy or just not knowing how. Here are 7 healthy holiday eating tips to use this season.
1. Get Mindful
The holiday season is a great time to try and practice mindfulness especially mindful eating. What is mindful eating? It is an approach to food that involves bringing awareness to our present thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations when eating. This involves paying attention to external cues such as the smell, taste, touch, sound, and sight of our food as well as our internal cues (emotions, feelings, and thoughts) towards the food. It can help us be present in the eating experience and engage in more healthful eating habits. The idea is to encourage full presence in the eating experience. Research has found that those who engage in mindful eating are better able to recognize when they are full, engage less in emotional and binge eating, have better blood sugar control, experience less fluctuation in their weight, and have an overall general positive attitude towards their bodies (Jordan, 2014).
There are several attitudes that are associated with mindful eating and mindfulness in general. They include, nonjudging, patience, having a beginner’s mind, trust, nonstriving, acceptance, and letting go. Read more about these attitudes here. What do these attitudes look like? And how can we practice them?
- Becoming aware of critical judgments we may have around food, our habits, or previous experiences with food and choosing to compassionately recognize them
- Choosing to not shame or guilt ourselves for overindulging but instead responding with empathy and a desire to understand why
- Taking a moment to become present with our meals
- Slowing down meals and appreciating smells, appearance, and taste of our food
- Putting away distractions such as phones, books, TV, etc. when eating
- Letting our stomachs settle before getting seconds
- Taking smaller portions knowing that we are allowed to grab more if we are still hungry
- Trusting our bodies to tell us when they are hungry and full
- Releasing expectations around our experiences with food
- Allowing ourselves to finish our plate if we are honoring hunger or leave food on our plate if we are honoring fullness
- Knowing we are allowed to say no or decline foods/drinks that we know we don’t like or don’t make us feel good
2. Eat The Rainbow (Don’t Forget Veggies)
With all the changes in routine, new seasonal goodies, and celebratory get-togethers, it’s easy to forget about healthy eating. Though there is nothing wrong with indulging in holiday treats, we don’t want to neglect our bodies of the essential vitamins and minerals we need to keep ourselves healthy and feeling well. Here are some tips and tricks for getting in those colorful foods throughout the holiday season.
- Aim for half of your plate to be non-starchy vegetables at each meal
- Focus on eating fruits and vegetables from a variety of colors
- Pair a fruit or vegetable with any snacks for some added fiber and essential nutrients
- Try a seasonal veggie based soup or stew
- Pack veggies and/or fruit into a breakfast smoothie, oatmeal, or omelet to get the day going
3. Eat Consistent Meals
It can be tempting to want to skip meals during the holiday season thinking we are saving our hunger for the actual meal but this can actually backfire on us. When we skip meals, it makes us more hungry, moody, and can make it hard for us to focus. We also increase our chances of overeating when we do eat meals which can leave us uncomfortably full and make it difficult for us to recognize and respond to our feelings of hunger and fullness.
Skipping meals also makes it harder to maintain stable blood sugar levels. When we skip meals, our blood sugar levels can dip low which can lead to changes in our mood such as being “hangry”, crabby, or just overall moody. By making sure we still get consistent meals, we can fuel our bodies, still enjoy those holiday goodies, and feel good and energized. Therefore, it’s important to maintain our regular eating schedule even throughout the holiday season.
4. Choose Beverages Wisely
The holiday season is full of yummy dessert beverages that are often high in sugar and fat. There is no need to completely avoid these beverages, but moderation is key. We just want to be careful not to be drinking cup after cup but instead, have one glass here and there. It is also important to remember that if we choose to drink alcohol during the holidays, we want to keep it within the recommended 1 drink for women and 2 for men per day.
Another tip for limiting alcohol or even just trying something new this holiday season is to make a mocktail or other non-alcoholic beverage. Some great options are below:
- Kombucha Sangria (try my favorite recipe here)
- Sparkling water and juice mocktails (could try sparkling berry water with pomegranate juice, fresh cranberries, and some fresh thyme)
- Mocktails of popular alcoholic drinks
- Soda water with sliced fruit
- Tea and coffee beverages
5. Stay Hydrated
With all the business during the holiday season, remembering to get enough water daily sometimes goes out the window. Doesn’t help when there are so many delicious holiday beverages around too. But water is important for general bodily functions like regulating body temperature and bowel movements to name a few. It is especially important during the dry winter months to keep our skin healthy.
Water needs vary from person to person, so the best way to check we are getting enough is to look at the color of our urine. We want a pale-yellow color. Anything darker could signal we aren’t getting enough water. Some ways we can make it easier to remember to drink water include:
- Listen to our thirst signal and drink when thirsty
- Carry a refillable water bottle
- Add a non-sweet flavor enhancer such as sliced fruit, lemon or lime juice, or fresh herbs
- Try a sparkling or mineral water
- Unsweetened herbal teas
6. Contribute a Healthy Dish
Holiday food doesn’t all have to be sweet or high fat. Choosing to contribute a healthy dish to holiday parties can help to ensure there is at least one nutritious choice available at meals. This could look like bringing a fresh salad, a warm dish that incorporates vegetables, or a fruit side. You can even utilize the color of vegetables to make a beautiful dish such as using rainbow-colored carrots or using bright pomegranate seeds and squash in a kale salad to make it look vibrant and delicious. Here are some healthy cooking tips that can be applied throughout the holiday season:
- Grilling, steaming, or baking vs. frying
- Swap for low or reduced sodium options (unsalted butter, low-sodium broth, etc.)
- Substitute apple sauce for oil or butter when baking
- Use yogurt for dips instead of sour cream or mayo
- Choose reduced fat or fat-free cheese
- Choose leaner cuts of meat for cooking or when eating (removing skin, choosing breast vs thigh meat if poultry, trimming fat, etc.)
7. Get Moving
Though this isn’t an eating tip, moving and staying active can help promote good digestion which is especially important during the holiday season. The CDC recommends getting between 150-300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise such as walking briskly. A 30 min walk every day would meet this recommendation. The holiday season is a great time to also use this time to connect and spend with family members. Exercise doesn’t have to be just walking. It can also include other fun activities such as sledding, ice skating, or other winter sports.