Tips for Healthy Holiday Eating

The holiday season brings lots of cheer, excitement and treats. With holiday feasts, it's easy to fall into unhealthy habits. Don't let the holidays ruin your diet, follow these five tips to have a healthy holiday season.

The holiday season is the time where all of your willpower is put to the test. Cakes and pastries, large dinners, desserts and holiday drinks are available everywhere you go. Are you able to resist? Although you should treat yourself during the holiday season, there are ways to ensure that you don’t overindulge. Check out our five tips for healthy holiday eating:

Tip #1: Avoid Buffet-Style Dinners

Buffet-style dinners are a trap when it comes to overeating! There’s just something about having food right in front of you that is just so tempting! Instead, serve yourself a plate and store away any remaining food. Not only will this stop you from overeating, but it will also leave you lots of leftovers, saving you from having to cook in the future. 

Tip #2: Limit the amount of Holiday Drinks

The holidays are a joyous time and should be celebrated with holiday-themed drinks! However, many holiday drinks contain plenty of sugar, fat or alcohol, which can hike up your calorie intake without you even knowing it! Alcohol contains seven calories per gram. An alcoholic beverage can cost you anywhere from 98 calories up to 4,000 calories! Other holiday drinks earn their calories from sugars or heavy creams, especially the infamous eggnog! But no need to worry! There are plenty of alternatives!

Tip #3: Bake with Sugar Alternatives

Our sweet tooth tends to kick in during the holiday season. Our kitchens often fill with gingerbread cookies, shortbread, holiday bark and other delicious sweets. Unfortunately, many of these sweets require sugar. Sugar is very high in calories and offers very little nutrition. One teaspoon of sugar provides approximately 16 calories. You can avoid these calories by using sugar alternatives. Nowadays, there are sugar alternatives for every sugar type, including granular, powdered, and brown sugar!

Tip #4: Contribute a Healthy Dish

Holiday plans always include a meal, and you may not always know what will be available at the table. The best way to know is to contribute a dish, preferably a healthy dish! Start by building your plate with 50% of your healthy dish; This is a fool-proof way to ensure that you will eat something nutritious during the holiday meals. Contribute dishes that contain whole grains, lots of vegetables, healthy fats, and a lean or plant-based protein if your diet allows you to. Check out our recipes tab for inspiration.

Tip #5: Don’t Skip Meals

It might seem like a good idea to skip lunch so you can have a big holiday dinner. But, skipping meals will likely make you overindulge at dinner. You might be under the impression that you will be able to eat more since you skipped a meal. However, this mentality, plus the tempting holiday food, might cause you to get carried away. Instead, follow your regular eating pattern. Including snacks into your day may also stop you from overindulging. The best part is that there are plenty of holiday-themed healthy snacks to keep you in the holiday spirit! From marshmallows to hot cocoa chocolate, there’s something for everyone!

The holidays are an excellent time to enjoy seasonal foods and drinks! However, the holidays can affect our health if we allow ourselves to overindulge. Follow these tips to have a healthy holiday season!

Happy Holidays from Natura Market!