As days turn shorter and the weather becomes cooler, many may start thinking about their favorite holiday treats. Holiday gatherings can be a terrific way to connect with friends and family while offering challenges to maintaining good health.
But eating healthy doesn’t have to mean cutting out all your favorite foods. Instead, small alterations can make a big difference. Here are a few practical tips for eating clean during the holidays:
Start with vegetables: Every holiday gathering has room for healthy, non-starchy vegetable choices. Both cooked and raw vegetables are a terrific way to bring color and flavor variety to your holiday plate and can help keep you feeling full with healthy fiber. Making a charcuterie board? Add some baby carrots, cucumbers or mini peppers for color, crunch and sweetness. Cooking a holiday feast? Roast Brussels sprouts, green beans, or mushrooms alongside your turkey or ham.
Remember that portions matter: A good serving of protein is about the size of a computer mouse, and no larger than the palm of your hand. Starchy foods should make up about a quarter of your plate, and fill the rest with vegetables.
Sip your way to smart choices: Whether it’s a cup of cocoa at Grandma’s or a pumpkin spiced latte, your choice of drinks can add a lot of sugar and calories. When considering drinks, choose unsweetened or low-calorie drinks as often as possible.
Another great way to sip smarter is with sparkling water. Add a wedge of lemon, lime or citrus to create the perfect party refresher.
Refresh your favorite family recipes: Some recipes can handle a little updating with new and easily available ingredients. Try substituting whole grain or almond flour for some of the white or bleached flour in baked goods to add protein and fiber. Experiment with reducing the sugar in sweets by a quarter or more. Most treats are so sweet you won’t notice the difference. Even simpler than changing the recipe is changing the portion size. For instance, instead of a dozen giant cookies, bake two or three dozen bite size cookies, which just makes them easier to share.
Focus on the treats that have meaning for you: While this season can often lead to overindulging, it is possible to enjoy the things you love mindfully. If a coworker brings in leftover holiday candy, but none of it is the kind you like, forgo those treats for something you will truly enjoy later. At big holiday gatherings, take a few minutes to look over the table and focus your plate on the foods you enjoy most and can’t get at other times. Give yourself the opportunity to savor every bite.
As we take part in holiday season festivities, healthy choices can make a positive difference in your life as we enjoy time with friends and family. Searching for wellness advice you trust? Discuss your health goals with your primary care provider to get started on your wellness journey today.
About April Pickrel, RDN, LDN, CDCES, QIDP
April Pickrel is a registered dietitian, nutritionist and certified diabetes care and education specialist. She joined Baylor Scott & White’s endocrinology team in 2020. April is a dietitian with a bachelor of science in human nutrition and dietetics from Eastern Michigan University. She has worked in family medicine, long-term care, nephrology, and dialysis.
