Often, it's easy to overindulge over the Holidays— between the warm feeling of family and even warmer steam rolling off those fresh baked cookies, it seems impossible to make healthy choices. But, if you're in the midst of recovering from a stressful weight gain this past semester like me and just want to do right by your body, you can start with these five useful tips!
1. Fruit instead of Fruitcake
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Although hardly anyone shares the dreaded annual fruitcake anymore, it is an icon which represents the myriad of sugary sweets ever present at the Christmas goodie table. Instead of making cookies this year, bring a fruit platter so that people can satisfy that sweet tooth while making a healthy choice.
2. Veggie Platter instead of a cheese and crackers platter
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Beefsteak sausage, cheese cubes of cheddar, pepper jack and white as well as a smorgasbord of crackers seem to be commonplace at holiday parties. While delicious, these savory snacks can be easy to overindulge on while talking with the family. Bring a veggie platter so that your unconscious snacking will help you reach your daily dose of veggies instead.
3. Have a roast chicken instead of ham
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If your family is anything like mine, then you help with the Holiday cooking. Although it's typical to have a Christmas Ham, see if you can have a roast chicken on the table too— for anyone, including yourself, to have some lean meat instead.
4. Use plastic gingerbread and candy to decorate instead of real ones
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If you haven't decorated already, there's still time! Instead of decorating with candy and spending all that time on a gingerbread house that will eventually topple over in an hour, get fake candy! Fake candy canes and even fake gingerbread houses are easy to find in any drug store!
Have tea instead of hot chocolate
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Surely, at one point or another, someone will whip out the mugs, hot chocolate, and marshmallows. Although tempting, hot chocolate is basically all sugar— so, in keeping with your personal promise to eat better, have some tea instead. It's a way of enjoying a hot drink with everyone else, and not feeling left out. Any tea will do. Personally, I like green tea!
Now, these are just five ways to be somewhat healthier this holiday season. Really though, if you feel it's more important to savor those seasonal treats with family, you should. Life is short and the memories you make as well as the quality of your experience matters more than your weight. If it would reduce the quality of your holiday to replace these traditions like this, then don't. It's not worth it to lose a pound or so. But, if every nibble would cause you anxiety, and the food would make you constantly wonder what the consequences will be to your body, then maybe take these into consideration. Do what will make your holiday bright!
