Dr. Maria’s 12 Tips for Healthy Holiday Eating

Have you heard of the 12 Days of Christmas? Well this post is Dr. Maria’s 12 tips for staying on track with your health goals through the holiday season.

Learn how to celebrate with friends and family without sabotaging your health goals!

12 Healthy Holiday Eating Tips

1.        Don’t starve yourself for the big meal! Skipping meals is more likely to lead to overeating and digestion issues.

2.        Eat a breakfast with protein and fiber. This will help maintain your appetite until the big meal and help make sure you don’t overeat.

3.         Serve veggies for appetizers. This will allow you to fill up on low-calorie foods and make you less likely to overeat. Plus the fiber will help with digestion.  

4.        Check over all the options at the table/buffet before deciding what to eat. This way you can decide what you would most to like to eat instead of piling everything on your plate.

5.        Get active! Go for a family walk or dance to some Christmas music to keep yourself active.

6.        Alternate water and alcohol. Have a glass of water in between every alcoholic beverage. This will not only keep those calories from the alcohol in check, but you will also feel better the next day!

7.        Drink a glass of water before the big meal. This will help fill you up and make sure you are hydrated so you don’t over eat.

8.        Limit your portion sizes. Enjoy all of your favorite foods, just in smaller portions, so you can have everything you want without busting those health goals.

9.        Use a smaller plate. If our plate looks full, our brain tells us we will be full after we are done eating. This can also help limit portion sizes!

10.   Choose one dessert. Instead of hanging out at the dessert table and snacking, pick one, watch your portion size and enjoy without feeling guilty!

11.   Step away from the table! When you are done eating, get away from the table and socialize in another room. This will help you avoid mindless grazing.

12.   Wait 20 minutes before going back for seconds. It takes our brain 20 minutes to tell our stomachs we are full, so go socialize for a while before heading for seconds, this will help avoid overstuffing yourself.

What do you think of my 12 healthy holiday eating tips? Which ones can you incorporate this year??