Healthy Holiday Eating Tips

Christmas is coming, but the goose may not be the only one in danger of getting fat. This is the time of year when caution is thrown to the wind, and any new diet plans are relegated to the start of the new year. Why? The extra helpings of turkey to start, followed by just one more mince pie and the opening of another box of chocolates. Christmas can be a time for indulgence, but it doesn’t have to be. You can still enjoy festivities, while still making some conscious decisions regarding your health. Here is some advice you may find useful.

Buy less food

Not only will buying less food save you money, but it will also leave you less prone to temptation. Cut back on those boxes of chocolates, festive biscuits, and sugar-coated mince pies. Alternatively, replace them with healthier options, and you will feel infinitely better as a result.

Cook food the healthy way

Cooking your own food is healthier than eating a lot of processed rubbish, but you can still damage your body if you cook unhealthily. Many of us are prone to fry-ups for example, especially with our leftover food from Christmas Day. However, air fryers are a good idea. Then think about the sugar you use in your baking. Yes, you want your Christmas cake to taste sweet, but using an artificial sweetener is a healthy solution, as is putting in extra fruit and nuts in place of layers of tooth-busting icing.

Go for long walks

Feeling bloated after your Christmas dinner? Don’t plonk yourself down in front of the tv to watch a festive movie. Go for a long walk instead, and enjoy the benefits of the fresh air while your food digests. Be sure to wrap up warm, of course, but a good walk can be a great family activity. Find somewhere scenic to stretch your legs, and you will also enjoy the wonders of nature at this time of year.

Make specific goals

Don’t just tell yourself you will only have one mince pie after dinner. Actively put into practice your ideals, and make a list of things you want to achieve over the holiday. Stick them up on your refrigerator so you have that constant reminder to watch what you eat. There is something satisfying about ticking off the feats you have managed, and that personal reward may be more edifying than that tempting looking mince pie or chocolate waiting for you on the table.

Limit what you eat

On Christmas Day, one turkey dinner is enough. Two? That’s what we call gluttony. Don’t pig out on more than one meal a day and cut out back on the extra courses after dinner. There will be plenty of food to snack on, but you don’t need to stuff yourself silly all day. You are in control over your own destiny this holiday, so if you know eating too much is going to cause you pain afterwards, try and have some self-control. Distract yourself, such as playing games with the kids, or go on that walk we mentioned, and you will have less need to constantly ‘have just one more’ when you have little else to do.

We hope you have a wonderful and healthy Christmas!