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3 tips for Eating Healthy during the Holiday Season

This post was sponsored by the National 4-H Council as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Eating Healthy During The Holidays

It can be easy for many of us to lose track of our healthy eating goals during the holiday season.  With so many sweets and processed foods at every holiday party and event, along with the cravings that can come with the colder weather and holiday movies, it can be hard to resist the foods we normally say no to.

3 tips for Eating Healthy during the Holiday Season

Eat something before you go to a holiday party.  If you and your family show up to a holiday function with empty bellies, your more likely to overeat all the tempting treats available.  Instead, eat some fresh fruit or a salad before leaving home, so that you are less likely to overeat at the party and are still getting in some nutritious food.

Eat what is best first.  When you head to the buffet you’ll likely find a table full of veggies, bread, sweets, and turkey.  Eat the veggies and turkey first, and save a little room to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Make your own treats for home, and to bring to holiday functions.  A perfect way to make sure you have a healthy option to eat is to bring one and keep the foods your family is going to be wanting at home.  Instead of eating a piece of the pie that is full of sugar, pastes, and ingredients we don’t know about, my family makes a simple apple pie.  We cut up a few apples and mix them with cinnamon and a drizzle of honey, cook the apples for 10 minutes while making an easy pie crust.  Then use the apples as the filling and bake the crust.  This gives us a delicious sweet treat that I feel better about feeding my kids.
We eat apples like this without the pie crust quite often for a quick and easy sweet treat. For little ones, I highly recommend using reusable yoghurt pouches when serving them healthy smoothie treats.

Holiday Spirit of Giving

My kids love to cook with me, and I am blessed to be to have the resources to cook healthy meals with them.  Unfortunately, this is not the case for too many!  Nearly 16 million children live in households that don’t have consistent access to food throughout the year.

However, 4-H Food Smart Families targets families that are eligible for or receiving SNAP/WIC and is helping create more food-secure homes by teaching families how to plan, shop, and prepare healthy meals on a budget.  
This includes two components, equipping youth and their families by empowering them to make healthy living part of their everyday lives and helping them with things such as cooking skills and food budgeting skills.  While also connecting families with nutrition assistance resources in their community.  Knowledge is power, and this gives families who are struggling to make ends meet, the knowledge they need to be able to feed their families well.

Since 2011, United Healthcare and 4-H have partnered together to deliver healthy living programs to more than 340,000 youth and their families in 14 states!

The goal is to continue to test the 4-H Food Smart Families program in select states.  With the end goal of replicating and expanding the program across the entire country.

Additional Tips 

Maintaining a healthy diet during the holidays can be a challenge due to the abundance of tempting treats and indulgent dishes. To make nutritious choices while still enjoying the festivities, aim for a balanced plate with lean proteins, whole grains, and colorful vegetables, and pay attention to portion sizes to avoid overindulging.

Opt for lean protein sources like turkey, chicken, fish, or plant-based options, and limit sweets and desserts. Stay hydrated throughout the day, as sometimes thirst is mistaken for hunger. Mindful eating, where you savor each bite, can help you enjoy your food more and recognize when you’re full.

Bringing healthy snacks to gatherings is a smart move, and drinking alcohol in moderation is advised. Incorporate whole grains into your meals, plan ahead for events, and maintain your regular exercise routine to balance out extra calories and reduce stress. 

When cooking at home, use healthier cooking methods and reduce added sugars, fats, and salt in recipes. Remember that the holidays are a time for enjoyment, and it’s okay to indulge occasionally. Making mindful choices and prioritizing health can help you navigate the holiday season in a balanced way.  

 

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14 Comments

  1. The holiday season can be so tough to get through when trying to eat healthy! Great tips, thanks!

  2. I’d love to try these out, always good to know way to keep healthy, especially during times like these lol!

  3. The holidays are when I gain the most. I’ll have to check this post out because I want to try to keep my weight down this year.

  4. With so many temptations, I’m going to keep a printout of your tips on my fridge.

  5. It’s really hard to make healthy choices this holiday season… but these are some great tips ☺️

  6. I’m not even going to lie, I eat the most unhealthy during the holiday season because I reward myself for all the great work I have done the rest of the year One day I may change that lol and these are some great tips to help with it. Thank you!

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