Holiday Party Season: Tips to Stay Healthy

November 8, 2016

Over the next few months, you will be exposed to massive amounts of sweets, treats, sugar, desserts and just plain fatty foods. Between post-Halloween candy, Thanksgiving, holiday parties, Christmas, Hannukah and New Years, November and December are pretty much just a time bomb of foods that aren’t so good for you! You want to stick to your core values of eating healthy, not only because you don’t want to wake up on January 1st 20 pounds heavier, but you feel better when you eat healthy – your body is fueled for energy, your mind more focused and alert and you sleep better. Only benefits from eating healthy!

To that end, we’ve got some tips and tricks to keep in mind over the next few months so that you and your family can stick to your healthy eating habits!

 

Stock Up on Healthy Snacks

November and December you’ll be running around like crazy, so before that all starts make a run to your local grocery store or Costco/BJs to grab healthy snacks to keep in the house, such as almonds, nuts, pumpkin seeds, dried fruits, raisins that will all last through the New Year. You can probably also stock up on perishables like yogurts, eggs, cheese to keep on hand and grab when you and your family’s hunger strikes. It’s all about keeping it in the house and accessible, so start early and be prepared.

Eat Before the Party

Don’t you hate those parties that start at like 6:30 or 7 and you don’t know if you’re supposed to eat beforehand…and then you show up hungry and starving and there is only food around like chips, cookies, or cheese and crackers! Well, this is a good rule of thumb before a party – eat something light but also substantial like a salad, turkey sandwich or peanut butter on celery to take the edge off and then if you are still hungry at the party, you can nibble on the treats but you won’t go overboard because you won’t be hangry.

Just Say NO!

The bake sale, the cookie trays, the pushing of the treats….it can be hard to turn down all of this good food, especially when given in such goodwill. However, don’t be afraid to politely decline the offer, or if you can’t find someone else that would want the sweets like sharing with neighbors, co-workers or your kids teachers, you can always look at the compost instead. Or, think about bringing it to a local food kitchen – just check to see what they are able to accept. It may be better in the long run for each family member to pick a sweet and figure out where to send the rest away, so it’s not continuously in your face!

Adjust Traditions

Traditions over November and December are often tied to particular types of food. Is your Thanksgiving dinner ALWAYS the same exact menu? Do you always make the same EXACT cookies at Christmas? Well, you can always adjust and switch things up! For example, introduce a new veggie side dish at Thanksgiving like Brussel sprouts – it doesn’t need to take away your moms’ creamed corn, but perhaps just offer folks an alternative healthy side. Or, instead of the peanut butter balls, make spiced almonds or nut mix as a nice treat that doesn’t quite have as many grams of sugar. There are a million delicious alternatives out there that could help to lighten the load a bit this holiday season!

 

Do you have any other thoughts and ideas to stay healthy during holiday season! Share in the comments below!

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