Healthy Eating For Your Family During The Holidays

The holidays can make it difficult to stick to a healthy eating plan. And while it is ok to splurge a bit, you don’t want your kid’s nutrition to completely spiral out of control. Here are some tips to help your family stay active and healthy this holiday season…

Start With Healthier Options

You can encourage your kids to start with healthier choices that will cut down on them overindulging on the not so healthy ones.

For example, hot soup as a first course―especially when it’s broth-based, not cream-based―can help you avoid eating too much during the main course. ~RealSimple

Take Your Focus Off The Food

You can help you children be more aware of all the wonderful things the holidays bring, that do not center around food.

Make celebrating the holidays with your family and friends more fun and meaningful than pigging out on a bunch of nutrient-depleted junk food. Bring some games that get everyone involved. Plan activities for the kids such as making ornaments or making a snowman. Or, get out the old family photo albums and tell stories as you reminisce about the good times you’ve shared together—that didn’t revolve around food! ~WestonAPrice

Prepare Healthy Food As A Family

The holidays can be the perfect time to include your kids in the preparations of their favorite dishes. Having your kids help with the meal preparation can allow you the opportunity to teach them about healthier substitutions. For younger kids, you can have them set the table or help prepare salads. ~ChildrensHealth

Don’t Keep Junk Food In The House

If your family is at least eating healthy at home, you are saving a bit of room for a splurge at holiday parties and get-togethers.

If they’re not used to healthy foods all the time, I would expect the kids (and maybe even your spouse) to grumble a bit the first time or two that you come home from the grocery store without any junk food to snack on. Keep healthy meal and snack options on hand and readily available (like carrot sticks for hummus or celery sticks and dip) and they’ll eventually come around. If healthy, whole foods are the only things available and they’re really hungry, they’ll eat it and even learn to appreciate the more subtle flavors over time. ~KimberlySnyder

Stay Active

When rushed around during the holiday season, it can also be challenging to fit in fitness. But, exercising together can be a great bonding experience. Even a simple walk after a large meal can help.

The best exercise course is not far from home: Try taking regular family walks in your neighborhood to burn off your kids’ excess energy. Find ways to keep the walks engaging for young exercisers, such as counting how many different kinds of birds they see, or taking breaks to make snow angels. During the holidays, late afternoon and evening strolls may provide an opportunity to see the lights in your neighborhood. ~Healthline

Enjoy, but pack in the nutrients and keep moving! Happy Holidays!