Some tips for eating healthier over the holidays

For many people, the holidays mean lots of food. We gather around the table to celebrate with family and friends while sharing a hearty meal. With an abundance of delicious options, it can be difficult to make healthier choices during the holiday season.

For people with chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or heart and kidney disease, making healthier food choices during the holidays is important to their overall health. And it makes good sense for everyone else, too.

Small substitutions in food preparation can make your meal healthier and cut unnecessary calories. For example, prepare sweet potatoes without added sugar or marshmallows. If green bean casserole is a staple on your holiday menu, use fresh or frozen green beans, instead of canned, to reduce salt.

Another easy adjustment is to choose low-sodium, reduced-sodium, or sodium-free products. Grilling, roasting, or baking your protein instead of frying can reduce fat and calories. Instead of chips and dip, try a vegetable tray with hummus. Reach for flavored sparkling water or unsweetened tea instead of juice, soda or punch.

If you’d like to offer healthier snacks, try unsalted or lightly salted nuts, fresh fruit and unbuttered or lightly salted popcorn.

Be sure that half of your plate is made of different colored fruits and vegetables, as recommended by choosemyplate.gov, and encourage your family to do the same.

It can be hard to get children to eat vegetables, especially on holidays. To encourage little ones to try vegetables I counsel families to start fun traditions for healthy eating. When I was little I did not like lima beans and neither did any of my cousins. My family started a tradition every year that each child had to have at least one lima bean on their plate. We all made sure we had one, and when the time came, we would hold up our lima beans and eat them at the same time, laughing, and watching each other’s faces.

It is important to teach children to try healthy foods, so try to make the experience fun and get the whole family involved.

Around the holidays, we can be overwhelmed with cookies, candies and other baked goods. If you have a hard time saying no, try bringing a container with you and ask to take dessert to go. You can enjoy the treats over a few days, so your body does not need to process a lot of sugar all at once.

Individuals sometimes lament the holiday season because they gain weight and may have difficulty losing it in the new year.

By incorporating healthier options and setting limits, we help ourselves in the long run.

Remember to incorporate exercise or physical activity into your schedule as well. Take time with family to go on a walk, play outdoors with the kids, organize a fun game of tag or touch football. Have fun!