Healthy Holiday Eating

You may have a healthy beach vacation in your future, but before you can begin a cleansing retreat or beach getaway, you have to navigate the holidays.

Vision of sugarplums might be dancing in your head but holiday cookies, candies, rich holiday fare and all of your traditional family-favorite treats are likely to be on the table – right in front of you! 

For those who are trying to maintain a healthy diet, the holidays always present a challenge.  

Healthy Holiday Eating Tips

“It’s easy to get swept up in the holiday season,” Patrick J. Skerrett, the former executive editor of Harvard Health says. “This combination of religious and national celebrations can help keep the cold winter away. But the feasts and parties that mark it can tax the arteries and strain the waistline.”

The holiday season will definitely be different this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but some things will remain the same. So be prepared for all those tempting holiday treats. As Skerrett says, “By practicing a bit of defensive eating and cooking, you can come through the holidays without making ‘go on a diet’ one of your New Year’s resolutions.”

Here are some of the holiday eating tips Katherine D. McManus, MS, RD, LDN, a dietician and nutritionist, offered on the Harvard Healthy blog:

• Don’t head out to celebrate on an empty stomach. “A snack or meal that is high in fiber and contains lean protein is ideal because it can help control your appetite and help you avoid overeating,” McManus says.
• Use a smaller plate. 
• Bring something to the party – and make it a healthy option (or at least not totally decadent). 
• Fruits and veggies are your friends. “Not only do these foods have plenty of vitamins and minerals, but they also contain fiber, which helps keep you full longer and may leave less room for other high-calorie foods.”
• Watch the liquid calories. Did you know that eggnog has almost 400 calories?! “Alcoholic mixed drinks and punches can easily contain over 200 calories. Opt instead for a glass of sparkling water with a splash of your favorite juice or wine,” she says. 

If you do over-indulge, don’t be too hard on yourself.  We are all entitled to a little joy after making it through 2020. You can get back on track with a cleansing retreat, vegan retreat or oceanfront wellness retreat. 

Wishing you and yours all the best for the holiday season!