Healthy Holidays: 9 Tips to Stay Healthy During the Holiday Season

What’s not to love about the holidays? The festive decorations and music, parties with family and friends, and seasonal treats. However, sometimes our diet and healthy habits get tossed out the window due to the busyness of the season and constant indulgence in sugary and high-fat foods.

Fortunately, you don’t have to veer off track from your healthy lifestyle to enjoy all that the holiday season has to offer. Take note of these 9 tips to help you stay healthy mentally and physically this holiday season:

#1. Opt for Healthy Alternatives to Your Favorite Dishes

You don’t have to give up your favorite holiday treats! All you need to do is modify them a bit with healthy ingredients. Swap mayonnaise in recipes for Greek yogurt, replace sugar in your desserts with stevia, and bake instead of frying food. These simple swaps will cut calories and unhealthy fats in all of your holiday favorites.

Find recipes for healthier versions of your favorite holiday recipes on our website.

#2. Practice Moderation

Moderation is key to still enjoying your favorite foods during the holiday season without overindulging. Whether you’re attending a holiday party or Christmas dinner, don’t be afraid to have a bite of the creamy mashed potatoes or chocolate cake. Just be intentional about limiting portions and make sure the majority of your meals are light and healthy.

#3 Skip the Processed Foods

Canned, processed, and premade foods are loaded with excess salt, sugar, and preservatives. You can avoid these things if you prepare homemade foods instead. When you make food from scratch you’ll have more control over the ingredients that go into the food you’re eating.

#4. Up Your Vegetable Intake

Balance in your diet is important, especially during the holidays. Including vegetables at every meal can help fill you up with healthy foods so you don’t overeat. Vegetables like roasted asparagus and sweet potatoes are healthy and delicious additions to the holiday table.

#5. Exercise

Between work and daily activities, and holiday shopping and events, you might consider skipping your morning workout or after-dinner walk. Don’t! Keeping your exercise routine consistent during the holidays will help burn calories, aid in digestion, and de-stress.

#6. Stick to a Sleep Schedule

Getting enough sleep is important to your overall health. During the holiday season, it can be challenging to maintain a consistent sleep schedule between holiday engagements and visiting family. But sticking to a sleep schedule will assist in the quality of your sleep and help you maintain proper eating habits.

#7. Carve Out Some Me Time

The constant activities and pace of the holiday season can wear you out. Make it a priority to set aside some time just for you. Go for a short walk, listen to music, or take a soak in the tub to enjoy some quiet and recharge.

#8. Keep the Alcohol to a Minimum

Excess calories and sugar are lurking in cocktails and eggnog, and you might tend to have more drinks than normal to celebrate. Skip the hangover and the extra glass of wine this year and remember to hydrate with water on nights you do drink.

#9. Eat Before Parties

The best way to avoid temptation and overeating at holiday parties is to have a meal or healthy snack before you go. When you’re not so hungry, you’ll tend to indulge less on unhealthy party foods or overeat. Drinking plenty of water will also help you feel full longer.

Staying on a healthy track during the holidays might seem like an impossible task, but it’s not. Put into practice these healthy tips and you’ll be off to a good start toward meeting your health and fitness goals in the new year.