As the holiday season approaches, many people celebrate by enjoying delicious food and drinks with family, friends, and loved ones. While your holiday meal may be the star of the show, it can be difficult to focus on nutrition during this time. Here are 10 tips for a delicious, nutritious, holiday.
1. Add Fruits And Vegetables To Your Plate
Fruits and vegetables are a great way to add nutrients to your diet, especially when preparing meals for the holidays. It is very easy to find a recipe available that includes different fruits and vegetables you can incorporate into your holiday meals or side dish. If you are not cooking for the holidays and simply enjoying it, try filling your plate with food that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and other nutrients.
2. Aim For Homemade Foods Instead of Processed
Foods that are processed often contain unhealthy chemicals as well as increased amounts of sugar, salt, and fats. This holiday season, try to focus on homemade foods rather than those that are processed. Cooking at home allows you to use fresh and healthy ingredients in your recipes as well as incorporate your favorite foods. If you are attending a holiday party, bring a homemade, healthy dish to share with others.
3. Don't Skip Meals
While you may feel like eating before holiday meals will ruin the main event, skipping meals can decrease energy levels, cause nutrient deficiencies, disrupt digestion, and even cause anxiety. If you're busy celebrating the holidays, it's important to take the time to eat nutritious meals throughout the day. Eating a balanced breakfast such as whole grains and fresh fruit can help your body get the nutrients it needs. Try to schedule your meals in advance so that you can enjoy them without feeling rushed and avoid skipping them together.
4. Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is one of the most important things you can do for your body, especially during the holiday season. It's important to drink plenty of water, especially during the holidays when you may be consuming more alcohol or sugary drinks as these can cause your body to become dehydrated. In addition to this, staying hydrated during the holiday season can help you avoid common holiday sicknesses.
5. Choose Healthy Cooking Methods
The way you cook your food can impact the nutritional value of your meals. If you are cooking for the holidays, try to use healthy cooking methods such as baking, grilling, steaming, or stir-frying. Methods such as frying, using excessive seasonings, or microwaving can change your meal from healthy to unhealthy, despite the ingredients. Utilizing healthier methods and finding a health-friendly recipe helps preserve the nutrients in foods and make them healthier overall.
6. Choose Lean Meats
When selecting meats for your holiday meals, try to choose leaner options such as chicken, turkey, fish, or tofu for a meatless option. These options are lower in unhealthy fats than other meats such as pork or beef. Choosing lean meats can help increase good cholesterol and lower blood pressure. If you are eating red meat, make sure to trim the fat off before cooking it as this can help reduce the amount of saturated fat
7. Practice Portion Control
With the plethora of options available during the holiday season, overeating a large meal can be easy to do, but it's important to practice portion control. Eating too much can lead to weight gain, indigestion, and other health problems. When you're filling your plate, make sure to include a variety of foods and aim for smaller portions. You can practice portion control by beginning with a small amount rather than a larger amount, and refilling according to your appetite. Eating slowly also helps with portion control as your body has more time to digest the food, as well as more time to savor your holiday meal.
8. Limit Alcohol Intake
For many of us, alcohol intake increases during the holiday season due to a multitude of celebrations. Excessive alcohol intake can disrupt your sleep, cause dehydration, and raise blood pressure. If you're drinking alcohol during the holidays, try to limit your intake to one or two drinks per day to avoid extra calories. Choosing lower-calorie options such as wine or light beer allows you to maintain your blood sugar and enjoy alcoholic beverages without causing significant damage to your health.
9. Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is essential for your physical and mental well-being, especially during the holidays. Staying up late to finish holiday preparations or attend parties can disrupt your regular sleep schedule and leave you feeling tired and unmotivated throughout the day. Make sure to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night so that you can avoid a groggy morning, maintain energy levels, and stay focused on the holiday festivities.
10. Stay Active
Staying active during the holiday season doesn't mean that you have to go to the gym every day, as there are plenty of fun ways to stay fit around this time. Planning physical activity with family and friends such as ice skating, sledding, skiing, or even a simple walk is a wonderful way to help your body feel its best during the holiday season.
If you need help making healthy decisions or staying on track this holiday season, contact Performance UNLIMITED to discuss health and wellness coaching with a registered dietitian, or schedule an appointment today!
