‘Tis the Season for Healthy Eating

It’s that time of year again—the holiday season is in full swing! While this is a time for celebrating traditions and reconnecting with family and friends, it can also be a challenging time for those who wish to maintain a healthy diet. From big feasts to sweet treats, it can be hard to prioritize healthy eating choices. Here are a few tips to help you achieve your healthy eating goals while enjoying a wonderful holiday season:

1. Create Accountability. Participating in IU Health’s “What’s on Your Plate?” challenge is a fun way to hold yourself accountable for the food choices you make.  Simply capture and submit a photo of everything you eat during the week of December 10-16. Doing so will help you see how your food choices compare to others while providing you with an extra incentive for mindful holiday eating.  To learn more, click here.
    
2. Choose smaller portions. The holiday season brings the rare opportunity to eat foods we enjoy only a few times each year. As a result, we are often tempted to try every item at every get-together or party. It is important to keep portion sizes in mind. By choosing smaller portions, we can try a little of everything without going overboard.
    
3. Bring a healthy dish. By offering to bring your own dish to a holiday gathering, not only are you helping the host/hostess, but you also have the chance to provide a healthier option for everyone at the dinner table.
    
4. Leave the table when you’ve finished eating. Once you’ve finished eating, it might help to leave the table. Doing so reduces the temptation to go back for additional helpings. It also means leftovers for tomorrow!
    
5. Bake only your favorite treats. While it’s easy to go overboard with holiday baking, having more cookies, candies, and pies in the house makes it more tempting to overeat. This year, instead of baking large batches of several types of treats, pick one or two recipes your family really enjoys and make smaller batches.