Your Bridge To Wellness: Crossing Rivers Health Blog

In collaboration with Sierra Loncki, RD, CD

The holidays are a special time of year. With the busyness of the season, we can sometimes stray away from our normal routines and healthy habits. We have included below a Q&A with our dietician Sierra Loncki, Dietician at Crossing Rivers Health shares some tips about food during the holidays. These can be applied at any time in our lives, but are especially pertinent over the holidays.

Sierra- How can we stay on track with healthy eating over the holidays?

During the Holidays, food is often times used as a way to celebrate. From Grandma’s homemade pumpkin pie to those delicious store bought canned cranberries, food is enjoyed in numerous ways, and for many weeks. With traveling to see family, partaking in traditional baking days, and all things in between, it can be difficult to navigate the holidays while trying to stay on track with your nutrition.

First things first, the Holidays are an exciting time of year. If you over-indulge, it will not make or break your health. Nutrition is not meant to be perfect all of the time and there truly are no “bad foods.”

Here are some simple yet effective ways you to cut back calories, sugar, sodium, and saturated fat.

1. Leave the cool whip off the pie.
2. Use low sodium broth for making gravy and stuffing.
3. Remove the skin from the turkey before you eat it.
4. Make cranberry sauce from scratch to control the amount of added sugar.
5. Include your favorite foods, especially those that you only have once or twice a year for the Holidays. Try using a plate that is smaller in diameter, and take one scoop of each. Make sure you slow down and enjoy each bite, to make each bite count.
6. Cut back or avoid butter on rolls, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. Butter is a calorically dense food, meaning it has a lot of calories in just a small amount.
7. Prioritize vegetable-containing sides, and fill most of your plate with these.
8. Next, make sure you eat adequate protein from whichever meat your family is choosing to prepare for the meal.
9. Enjoy a drink or two, but watch the added sugars in the mixers as these calories add up quickly.
10. Most importantly, eat breakfast the day of your family get-togethers, and make sure you prioritize protein and fiber. The idea of skipping breakfast so “there is more room for lunch” only sets you up for overeating. With a balanced breakfast, you can go into the meal without feeling ravenous. Remind yourself, too, that these foods can be eaten any time! There is always more, and no one is stopping you from making that delicious stuffing on a random Tuesday in May!

Altogether, Holiday foods are meant to be enjoyed. If you are stressing about your diet over the holidays, use the tips listed above to help ease some of the nerves and know, one day will not make or break your progress/health.

Janelle-How can we shift the focus from food to fun over the holidays?

It is important to stay active and enjoy this special time. There are activities you can do that don’t focus on food. Some families or friend groups enjoy going for a walk or run. You can even wear fun holiday clothing (hats, scarves, leggings). Who knows, you may inspire someone else to join the fun or at least put a smile on their face. Take a trip to look at Christmas lights or go to a special holiday event. Plan holiday games, make crafts, go caroling, or do a treasure hunt as part of your gathering. The holidays are full of memories-old and new. Share memories with your loved ones and create new ones together. That is what the holidays are about.

We hope this helps you enter the holiday season with plans and purpose. Celebrate in a way that brings you joy! From your friends at Crossing Rivers Health, we wish you wellness over the holidays and into the New Year!