how to eat healthy through the holidays

How do you eat healthy over the holidays when everything around you screams joyful celebration with food?

Let’s be honest. We all look forward to the holidays as a time to kick back, spend time with family, and celebrate the season with some good food.

Here are some helpful tips to eat healthy over the holidays while keeping it real.

Holiday Healthy Eating Tip 1 – Portion control

While this is an obvious one, it is none-the-less a big one. Do your best to maintain a regular healthy portion in your meals over the holiday period.

If you can’t help having seconds of grandma’s cooking over family dinner – that’s ok. But don’t make having seconds the norm over the next few holiday weeks.

Holiday Healthy Eating Tip 2 – stay active

Making some time to rest and rejuvenate over the holidays is important. Your workout studio may be closed for a number of days, but stay active.

This helps you stay mentally aware of you’re putting in your body. It is another way to ensure you still burn off calories even if you’re not attending you favourite fitness kickboxing or martial arts class.

Go for walks around your neighbourhood. Do a short run to the convenience store when you need to grab supplies. In the simplest way you can, stay active.

Holiday Eating Tip 3 – Eat less takeout

Ordering in means you are likely consuming more processed food. Instead have homemade meals.

Try not to get carried away with the convenience of food delivery. The same goes when dinning out. Watch your portions and stick to moderate and healthy choices.

Holiday Healthy Eating Tip 4 – Watch the alcohol (and sugary beverages)

It may not seem like much, but there are more calories in that glass of wine than that rice dish you passed on.

Alcohol consumption accounts for most calorie gains when adults are trying to watch what you eat during the holidays.

Remember too that it sometimes go hand-in-hand. When you’re drinking a lot, you probably won’t remember to make any healthy food choices either. So have some control and drink responsibly.

Holiday Healthy Eating Tip 5 – Snack less on left overs

We all have our guilty pleasures when it comes to trying to eat healthy over the holidays. Whether it’s left over turkey, apple pie, ice cream, or chocolate; snacking at home can easily get out of hand.

What you can do is portion out your snacks. Don’t leave the whole chocolate box out on the kitchen counter. Keep tempting snacks out of reach.

And finally, when leaving grandma’s after family dinner, only pack leftovers that you can portion control. If you know that’s your kryptonite, don’t bring it home.

It is possible to eat healthy of the holidays. You just have to be honest with yourself and keep it real.

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