Holiday Eating Tips: 10 Ways To Eat Healthier Over The Holidays

Contents

Often times I hear people eating a cheesecake followed by “it’s a holiday so it is okay.”

Why would you wanna waste all that hard work for nothing?

There are so many holidays and “special occasions” during the year that often times it can negate any of your hard work you put in throughout the year.

Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, birthdays, weddings, Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s day, Father’s day, New Year’s, and many more, all the weight you lost can come back without you even realizing how and when it happened.

In this article, we go over the top 10 healthy holiday eating tips so you don’t lose your hard-earned results.

healthy eating tips for the holidays

10 Holiday Eating Tips So You Don’t Lose Your Gains, Man

1. Drink Water!

Drinking water can be one of the best ways for you to eat better on the holidays.

Drink 2 8 oz cups of water before your meal, drink one more cup during your meal, and then drink another cup or two after your meal.

This will cause you to be full and you will be a lot less likely to binge eat.

2. Socialize

If you take breaks in-between eating, you’ll give your stomach ample time to tell your brain that you are full.

Many experts in the field suggest that it may take up to 20 minutes for your stomach to send signals to the brain to let it know that it is full.

If you normally like to go back for seconds when you eat, a good idea would be to socialize for 15-20 minutes after completing your first plate before going for more.

This is a great way to not binge eat and to consume fewer calories while still being completely satisfied.

Many studies show that those who pace themselves when they are eating eat less and are just as full as their fast, over-eating counterparts. Two of these studies are discussed here if you are interested.

3. Dairy Products

Dairy products are often a huge part of holiday meals. If you decide to make dishes with dairy products make sure to use low-fat and skim milk.

This will cut a significant amount of calories without affecting the taste too much.

There are tons of low-fat cheeses and spreads and utilizing them can help quite a bit.

4. Meat Products

When consuming meats on holidays, there are a few easy tips that can help cut some calories.

First off, use lean cuts of meat. White meat is often less “fatty” then dark meat, so for example, when eating chicken, consume the chicken breast over the chicken leg.

  • Avoid frying your meat. Broiling, baking, and grilling are much better options.
  • Try to consume more fish. Fish has great health benefits and has lots of “good” fats.

5. Add Vegetables

When I say vegetables, I mean vegetables, not vegetables smothered in cream sauces or soaked in butter.

Flavor your vegetables with salt and other spices such as pepper and parsley, but try and avoid making your vegetables one of the high-calorie dishes of the holiday.

If you consume vegetables with peels such as potatoes, leave the skin on as the skin is the main source of fiber in the vegetable.

Fiber is essential in a healthy diet and will help make you full without binge eating.

6. Dessert

When most people hear dessert, they immediately think cheesecake, pie, ice cream, etc, but dessert does not have to be unhealthy.

Fruit salads, in my opinion, are the tastiest and most delicious desserts.

They are full of vitamins and contain only a fraction of the calories. If you absolutely love the high-calorie desserts like cheesecake, however, I recommend eating them.

Try to consume them in moderation and not to go overboard. Try to have only a small slice or two.

7. Control Your Portions

No need to restrain from eating your favorite foods. Take small portions and eat slowly. A small taste can help satisfy your cravings.

8. Avoid Everyday Foods

If there are packaged chocolate chip cookies or potato chips, avoid them.

You can eat those on any given day.

Save your calories for foods special to the specific occasion.

9. Limit Alcohol

Alcohol is oftentimes, one of the highest sources of calories. Try and consume only a drink or two of alcohol to avoid those unwanted calories or even better yet, be the designated driver!

10. Go For A Long Walk!

After all that eating, go for a long walk to burn some of those calories off! Not only will it burn those calories, but it will also allow you to feel less guilty!

People think they blew it when they binge eat on holidays and then give up on living a healthy lifestyle.

Walking will allow you to feel less guilty so that you can go back to being healthy after the holiday or special occasion.

Implementing your healthy holiday eating tips 🙂

These are all some holiday eating tips that can help you control your binge eating on holidays and special occasions.

Eating healthy over the holidays can be very doable if you have the right mindset.

It is okay to have “cheat” days, and in fact, I would recommend them sometimes.

However, I would make sure that you do not consider every little occasion to be an excuse to eat whatever you want.

You are putting all that hard work in and it would be a shame to lose it because of a couple of bad days.

Try to make living well a lifestyle change where you are not “sacrificing” anything.

Exercising and eating healthy foods are a great way to feel better about yourself, and once you consider your new life choices to not be a diet that is temporary, but rather a lifestyle, being healthy will be easier than you ever thought possible.

If you have any questions about different holiday eating tips or advice to help you to start eating healthier over the holidays, do not hesitate to ask!

Put It into Practice: 3 Impactful Takeaways to Implement

  • Stay hydrated: Drink 2 cups of water before your meal, one cup during your meal, and another cup or two after your meal to help you eat better during the holidays. Staying hydrated can help you avoid overeating and make healthier choices.
  • Eat before attending events: Never go to a party hungry. Eat a small meal that includes protein before leaving home to help balance your blood sugar and avoid overeating at the event.
  • Be mindful of your choices: Stay conscious of what you eat at holiday celebrations. Eat slowly and deliberately, tasting and chewing every bite. Taking a few minutes between servings can help prevent overeating.

Daniel Maman

Daniel is a certified personal trainer (ACE), has a Bachelors of Science degree in Sports, Exercise, and Wellness, and spends his free time keeping up to date with the latest research in health and fitness. In his free time, you can find him playing basketball, doing muay thai, camping, traveling, reading, and eating tomatoes like they're apples.

Like what you read? We would love a share :)