14 Tips for a Healthy Holiday Season

“It only comes once a year!” is a common excuse people use when indulging during the holidays. However, given that the parade of cookies, chocolates, cheeses and cocktail parties start soon after the Halloween decorations come down and continue well into the New Year, it might not be such a good idea to cave in to all those holiday treats. Here are some of our favourite tips for a happy, healthy holiday season.

All Occasions

Be realistic. Losing weight during the holiday season is nearly impossible, so don’t beat yourself up if you don’t see the pounds flying off like they did before. Instead, set mini-goals for yourself that focus on healthy behaviours as opposed to the numbers on the scale. This article is full of ideas for you to try.

Plan ahead. Take stock of all the potential temptations that you will face – chocolates at the office, holiday baking, cocktail parties, big family dinners – and come up with a game plan. It could mean bringing healthy snacks to work and setting limits to how many treats you have per day, having a small snack or meal before dancing the night away, or cooking up a healthier version of a family recipe.

Be picky. Making healthy choices during the holidays doesn’t mean that you can’t indulge; it just means that you have to be a little choosy about what you sink your teeth in. Before you eat, survey the hors d’oeuvres or dinner table and pick out your favourites before filling your plate. Treat yourself to foods that you can only get during the holidays, like gingerbread cookies or fruitcake, and skip the snacks that you can get at other times of the year, like chips or chocolate. You might even want to be picky about which parties you want to attend altogether, which will limit the temptations and give yourself time to relax at home during the holiday season.

Learn to say “No”. Sometimes it’s hard to say “no” during the holidays because no one wants to come off as a Scrooge! Chances are, it’s all in your head – your friends have probably turned down many party invites of their own, and your aunt probably won’t take it personally that you can’t stomach another slice of pie! Don’t worry about coming up with a lengthy alibi; most people will back off with a simple but polite decline, and if they don’t, just be up front about your health and fitness goals.

Stay active. ‘Tis the season for skating, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, tobogganing, snowman building, snowball fighting and not to mention… sidewalk shovelling! Not a fan of winter sports? Now is actually the perfect time to hit the gym, as it will be less busy and you will have free reign of all the equipment!

Cocktail Parties

Bring a healthy hostess gift. Instead of the traditional wine or chocolate, give healthier hostess gifts, like nuts (watch those portion sizes!) or a fruit basket. Non-food items, such as flowers or scented candles, will also be appreciated.

Use a napkin at the hors d'oeuvre table. Napkins generally don’t hold as much as even a small plate, so you are more likely to eat less and be a little pickier with your appetizer choices. Fill up on snacks that are lower in fat - like veggies and dip, whole wheat pita and hummus or fruit, for example, before treating yourself to one or two of the unhealthier hors d'oeuvres. Make sure you don't go to the party hungry by having a little snack at home beforehand.

Step away from the kitchen. After filling your napkin with goodies, make it easier for yourself to resist nibbling your way through the night by moving away from where the food is. Enjoy a quiet conversation with your friends or get the party going on the dance floor!

Don’t drink your calories! Holiday imbibements can pack on the calories, from over 200 calories for a rum eggnog, to 100-150 calories per glass of wine – and that is for a standard pour! Obviously we would prefer if you volunteered to be the designated driver and have nothing to drink, but if you must, make every second one a glass of water – you’ll take in fewer empty calories and will feel less hungover the next morning to boot!

The Big Dinner

Offer to bring something healthy. Some etiquette experts will say it’s not polite to bring food to a holiday feast, but these days most hosts will appreciate the help – as long as you ask beforehand! Bring something healthy but familiar, like salad or a side of vegetables, but if your family is OK with moving away from tradition, try dishes like mashed cauliflower or parsnips in place of mashed potatoes, or a less common ingredient like kale or quinoa.

Switch your serving utensils. If you are hosting, try to trick yourself (and your guests!) into eating less by using smaller plates, bowls and glasses. In one study, Dr. Brian Wansink, an American researcher well-known for his work in eating behaviours, found that switching from a 12-inch plate to a 10-inch plate caused people to serve themselves 22% less!

Using smaller serving spoons will also help decrease the amount that people dish out, but when it comes to the utensils we eat with, a recent study shows that using bigger forks can make us eat less. The thought is that when we take bigger bites of our food, we can see that we’re making progress on finishing our plates, which causes us to feel full sooner and eat less overall.

The colour of our plates can also affect how much we eat. Another study from Brian Wansink shows that people tend to serve themselves less when there is more contrast between the colour of their food and the colour of their plate. Green would be festive and perhaps get everyone to eat more veggies while having less of everything else. Blue or black would also work, as those colours would contrast with most foods.

Follow the Plate Rule. Just as you would with your non-festive meals, think of the plate rule as the food gets passed around the table. Fill half your plate with vegetables (green beans and root vegetables are popular this time of year), a quarter with grains and starches (stuffing, potatoes and yams fall into this category) and another quarter for the star – turkey, ham or turducken. Minimize the extras like sauces and gravies, and leave room for just one dessert.

Say “no” to seconds. Take all the food that you think you are going to eat the first time around. Not only will this force you to be picky, but it is another optical illusion at work – even if you end up with a plate piled high with food, you are still likely to be serving yourself less than if you served yourself two plates.

Last but not least, savour the season. The holidays can already be quite stressful, so don’t add to your stress by worrying about making healthy choices all the time. Give yourself a chance to relax and enjoy the holidays – enjoy the company of your family and friends and enjoy the food and drink that the season brings. Who knows? Allowing yourself to slow down – even for just a second – may be better for you than you think.

Happy Holidays!