The holidays are met with both glee and groans as we celebrate the great food and dread what it does to our healthy habits we’ve worked to maintain through the year.
If you’re trying to ensure you’re able to balance the fun and the fit-consciousness in your holiday season, here are some tips to make sure you’re snacking smarter between Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Eggnog and mulled wine, while delicious, are full of sugar and calories which can make you feel drained after a bad sugar crash. If you’re celebrating the season with cocktails, opt for a vodka soda with lime, or a plain alcohol with a low calorie mixer to cut down on sugar. A great alternative is champagne, which is lower in calories and lends itself to savvy sipping and smaller portion sizes than a typical cocktail.
If you’re at the holiday party, you may be snacking mindlessly while you’re near the buffet table full of deviled eggs and cheeses. If you can nosh off a napkin or small plate as opposed to an oversized plate, mentally, it looks like more. Additionally, be aware of what you’re housing down while you’re socializing. Take a minute to enjoy your food (instead of chatting and chewing) so it’ll register that you ate, and then, move away from the snack table!
The holidays are jam packed with awesome seasonal favorites that you simply cannot get during other times of the year! My favorite obviously is the peppermint latte (which is full of sugar!) but of course, I go gaga for deviled eggs, and homemade Christmas cookies of all kinds. It’s easy to fall off the wagon, hard, simply because our favorites will be gone soon.
This season, avoid going absolutely crazy by picking a few choice indulgences and really savoring those. If you are a deviled egg fan like I am, or you know that you must indulge in the bacon wrapped scallops or pecan pie, scope out the holiday table when you show up and build your plate around what matters, balancing your “naughty” choices with a wee bit more “nice,” like salad and veggies.
If you’re feeling like a zombie at the shopping mall, you’ll make bad choices. Additionally, if you’re in that twilight zone of the hour between getting off work and hitting up the holiday party across town, you may not be able to squeeze in a meal, but you need to plan for the time your tummy is typically desperately hungry.
Y’all know I love goodness knows, and have been a fan of the chocolate and protein combo that satisfies my sweet tooth and sustains my cravings so much longer than a candy bar or typical trail mix bar. Though I’m a fan of goodnessknows (as y’all know), you can also throw some raw mixed nuts, carrots and dried fruit in your bag. The point is, you need to pack smart and plan ahead, you can’t run on fumes and you’re surrounded by holiday temptations (like cake pops and cinnamon rolls!) so be ready.
Keep extra snacks in your car, cubicle and bag. When you’re hungry, you make bad choices on your holiday shopping and your holiday snacking. Plus, when you’re hangry, you’re a grinch! Not fun!
Check out www.goodnessknows.com where you can find a list of participating stores that sell my favorite snack bars, so you’ll be prepared for this holiday season! A goodnessknows bar contains four yummy snack squares with 100 milligrams of naturally-occurring cocoa flavanols – the good stuff found inside cocoa beans, and is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without reaching for a candy bar or holiday cookie!
Get more info on goodnessknows on their Facebook page or follow them on Instagram for some tasty treats! You can also share how you’re enjoying the goodness by tagging your posts with hashtag #tryalittlegoodness!
I’m a goodnessknows ambassador, and all opinions are my own..including the opinion that champagne is the best holiday beverage and that these bars are in my go-bag all season long. 😉
This is helpful! Gotta remember this! Happy holidays!
Great tips! My hubs and I are working hard to maintain our healthy habits during the holiday season, but it can be really hard to do.
Ou great tips you have here Shannyn! I’m putting myself forward to plan a holiday party myself this year just so I can prep most of the food – and staying healthy is definitely on top of my list!