Healthy Eating During the Holidays: Impossible?

Eating healthy during the holidays seems like an impossible challenge. There are so many delicious treats, parties, shopping marathons in malls filled with tantalizing scents, gift baskets filled with exotic cheese and meat, rich egg nog, family dinners with platters overflowing with fattening foods - who can stick to a healthy eating plan with all of those temptations?

Most people don’t even try. They say, “I’ll just start my diet fresh in the New Year,” and then proceed to stuff themselves with food non-stop from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day. No wonder people usually gain weight during the holiday season!

It doesn’t have to be that way for you. If you’d like to create a healthier balance between enjoying the holidays and still keeping your weight down (or even losing a few pounds), check out the easy tips below:

#1 - What You Do “Most Days” Counts

When you consider that there are only a handful of days during the holiday season when you are attending family dinners or parties, it becomes clear that you don’t have to overindulge on “most days”.  (You don’t have to overindulge at all, but we’ll get to that in a moment.)

You can decide to eat healthy on “most days” unless you are attending a party or other holiday event, and only during those functions give yourself permission to enjoy a few favorite foods.  The rest of the time, stick to small and healthy balanced meals.

See: How Eating More Often Can Help You Eat Less

#2 - Re-define “Indulge”

Do you think of the holidays as a license to stuff yourself to the point of discomfort?  Do you eat so much during holiday dinners that you couldn’t possibly fit another bite if food into your stomach?  This isn’t indulging, it’s overindulging, and it’s a good way to gain a few pounds (or more than a few).

Rather than stuffing yourself, you can easily still enjoy holiday meals while eating smaller servings of old favorites and balancing them with larger portions of healthier foods like salads and other vegetables.

#3 - Bring Your Own

When you attend family dinners and holiday parties, why not offer to bring something?  You can whip up some healthy, yet still delicious, favorites.  In fact, don’t be surprised if several other people at the gatherings are thrilled to have some healthier options too!

It’s definitely not hard to keep your eating in balance during the holiday season.  With a bit of planning and common sense, you can still enjoy some of your favorite foods while keeping your weight down or even losing a few pounds if you want to.
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