Our daily blog has been around for years, and we have shared some great advice! In December 2019, we shared tips for eating healthily at holiday gatherings. Looking back, it’s all good advice. But it’s important to refresh ourselves as the holidays approach. And we recently heard some new advice we hadn’t thought of before that we wanted to share.
Back then, we talked about the importance of veggies. We shared the recommendation that you make half your plate veggies. But we also said it is hard to pass up holiday treats in favor of things you can eat all year round. That is why we recommended enjoying your food but paying attention to satisfaction cues from your body and not standing near the buffet table.
We saw a piece of advice from a weight loss coach on TikTok. We don’t recommend listening to most health advice on TikTok. However, sometimes, people will say something that can be quite helpful.
Amber Clemens shared terrific advice on how not to overindulge in holiday treats. It boils down to not viewing them as special. Often, we overeat holiday dishes because they are once-a-year special treats. Once you remove the idea of scarcity from them, they become much easier to enjoy without eating large amounts.
“I want you to remember that these foods are nothing special, and in reality, we could probably have any of these foods that we really wanted any time of year,” Ms. Clemens said. “So yes, enjoy them. But remember, you can have them again.”
If there is a holiday dish you love, you can have it as a side any day of the year! It doesn’t have to be something you eat a large amount of because you can only have it once. You can make it this week.
You might see limitations in this idea. Holiday dishes tend to be large to feed a crowd. So, make it and freeze it in healthy side portions that fit your health goals. They can take a long time. Take a Saturday and enjoy cooking the recipe! It doesn’t have to be for a big event. It might have expensive ingredients that are only justifiable at the holidays. If you cook it now and freeze portions, the price per portion may be less. You can also cook it for birthdays, anniversaries or other big events. The point is to make those foods not just one-day-a-year foods! It takes away their power as magical foods you must eat before they disappear.
This advice is very simple. But that’s what makes it so wonderful. Simple tricks like these are the building blocks of healthy lifestyles. By making holiday foods less exciting and more every day, you can have a wonderful meal without feeling like you are missing out when you only have a small serving of things!
