Dear Parents,
Rich meals with cookies, candy, eggnog and other special treats often come to mind when we think of holiday eating. These food traditions are enjoyed as a comforting part of the holiday season and can help evoke pleasant family memories but it is easy to overdo it. Some pre-holiday planning can help your family stay healthy during this season. The suggestions below may help you get started.
Decide to keep your holidays healthy before they start. Prepare lighter meals during the holiday season to balance the rich eating which may accompany celebrations. Eating light meals on the day of a party is helpful, but don’t skip meals. A missed meal before a gathering greatly increases the likelihood of overeating at the party. When preparing holiday foods for the family or for larger celebrations, be sure to include nutritious, lower calorie options. Try fruit and vegetable trays. They’ll add lots of flavor, color, phyto-nutrients, vitamins, minerals and fiber, plus your family may eat less of the rich holiday foods.
Another stress releasing and energy burning recommendation is to plan family times that include physical activity. Taking walks, hiking, and enjoying other family activities with relatives will help use up that extra energy eaten at social gatherings.
Finally, have realistic holiday goals. Rather than trying to diet or lose weight during the holidays, a more achievable goal might be weight maintenance.
If you are looking for healthy recipe suggestions for your holiday meals, you may wish to check out the links listed below. Please note that we do not endorse products sold at these sites.
Have a happy healthy holiday!
The Fronske Health Center Staff
