Eating Healthy During The Holidays: How to Stick to Your Diet
Here's some good news: over the years, studies show that, on average, people gain only between about 1 to 2 pounds during the holiday season instead of the 5 pounds that many folks believe is inevitable. However, there's a catch: although holiday weight gain is less than most people think, it can tend to stick around. Over time, a small amount of weight gained year after year can add up.
Can you balance healthy eating during the holidays and holiday fun? Yes—here's how to stick to a diet and eat healthy over the holidays.
Don't Skip Meals
It's tempting to skip meals if you know you're going to a holiday party or dinner, but skipping meals can backfire, leading to excess hunger and overeating later that day. Eat light meals and opt for a healthy lunch during the day.
Bring a Healthy Dish
Holiday parties where everyone is asked to bring a dish can often end up as obstacle courses of frosted cookies, pies, and cakes, with a couple of wilted pieces of celery at the end of the line. By bringing a healthy dish to holiday gatherings, you can boost your own health and offer others a different choice.
Here are some examples of healthy dishes you could bring:
- Vegetable trays: Include several colorful vegetables and healthy dips. Pickled vegetables could also provide fermented prebiotics that can aid digestion.
- Fruit trays and fruit salads: Fruit contains fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Try tropical fruit trays or add pops of festive color and shapes cut from different fruits.
- Healthy holiday classics: Can you make one of your favorite recipes in a healthier way? It's more than likely possible, and the NIH offers some tips for swaps that keep all the flavor but lose unhealthy ingredients.
Choose Nutritious Snacks
At holiday events and throughout the day, consider high-nutrition snacks. Sometimes hunger results from a need for nutrients, so highly nutritious snacks can help to reduce your hunger for low-nutrition holiday foods.
Nutritious snacks include fruit combined with a handful of nuts, or protein-rich choices like high-protein yogurt (think Greek yogurt or Icelandic Skyr) and string cheese or other hard cheeses. Other healthy snack options include crunchy raw vegetables and hummus, which offer fiber, vitamins, and plant protein.
If you find yourself pinched for time, pre-packaged protein snacks can be a convenient and filling option.
Drink Wisely
Just about everybody knows that many holiday beverages, from soda to eggnog, are high in sugar and calories. Stick to calorie-free, low- or no-sugar drinks like water, tea, or seltzer.
Can you drink alcohol during the holidays and still stick to your diet? Alcoholic beverages can reduce inhibitions and encourage people to eat unwisely, but it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them. You should drink in moderation and make sure you have a glass of water with each alcoholic drink.
Practice Mindful Eating
Eating mindfully is a great experience. If you're at a holiday event or cooking for your own event, choose the special foods you particularly enjoy and savor each bite when you do eat them.
Use a small plate so you can see and control your portions. This is an opportunity to discover when you truly feel satisfied and aren't overstuffed.
Can you eat desserts over the holidays without ruining your diet? Absolutely, by eating in moderation and choosing carefully. If you taste a dessert and don't absolutely love it, don't feel guilty for putting it down. Focus on small portions of foods you really love.
Make Healthy Swaps
One of the easiest holiday diet tips is making simple, healthy swaps. Greek yogurt tastes like sour cream, and many foods are just as delicious when baked instead of fried.
You can also boost your healthy holiday eating by serving a fresh, crisp salad instead of a heavy casserole or substituting vegetable stock for cream.
Don't Feel Pressured
Just about everybody has a "food pusher" in the family or among friends. Be polite but firm when one of them urges you to take a second helping or eat a big slice of pie. Don't ever feel ashamed of wanting to make positive choices to achieve your goals.
Savor the Season with Healthy Habits
You can absolutely enjoy the holiday season to its fullest while staying healthy. Adopting new holiday eating tips can seem challenging, but eating healthy during the holidays can be fun and rewarding and also spark a delicious new tradition for you, your family, and your friends.