How to Eat Well (and Healthy!) this Holiday Season

Did you overeat the bad foods on Thanksgiving?

It's the most wonderful time of the year for food and culinary adventures! All year long committed foodies research, trial, and test a cacophony of dishes all in preparation for those hungry tummies and eager dinner party guests.

The thing is, we’re also becoming more aware of the importance of eating well - but healthily at the same time, and these two concepts don’t always couple well. But, with some creativity in the kitchen and a few subtle changes to your ingredient list, you can whip up tantalizingly tasty meals that will satisfy the most hardened of holiday eaters while saving your calorie count too.

Now, if you’re just starting your journey as a future celebrity chef, then you need not be put off by reading further. We know that sometimes creating healthy and tasty meals can seem like work for pros, but anyone can learn at any time. Here's how to eat well (and healthy!) this holiday season!

FIRST, PLAN IT!

Every good idea must start with an even better plan on how to achieve it, and if eating healthily through the season is a goal (of course it is!), then you have to start planning for it now.

It’s as simple as taking it on a week-by-week basis. For example, if you start your menu for the week ahead on a Friday, you’ll have Saturday to do whatever shopping you need to do or get your online orders in on time for weekend delivery.

Plan your menus Monday through Friday (allow some extra flexibility for meals on weekends), and here is the trick: plan your meals without thinking about the healthy version of those meals. Plan the way you would want to eat as if calories didn’t exist.

Now, once you have your perfect meals all lined up, it’s time to put in a little elbow grease. Research what the healthy alternatives are to those meals, or if you could make healthy substitutes of certain ingredients. Take out potatoes and replace them with sweet potatoes. Swap the bacon, with turkey bacon, and swap refined sugars with, my fave, monkfruit sweetener.

It’s simple, small changes repeated over a period that add up to big results. #consistency

Here are a few recipes to help you get started.

I also love this easy Roasted Fall Veggie Soup drizzle with a simple pesto on top. Yum!

INVOLVE YOUR KIDS

You’ll be amazed at how willing your kids will be to make changes to their favorite dishes if you take the time to ask their opinions and involve them in the shopping, preparation, and making of the food. Plus, this gives you and the kids a great opportunity for bonding and making memories, while also teaching them a valuable life skill and knowledge of where food comes from.

Get them to try out these cookies that works great as a healthy and flavorful cookie throughout the holiday season. (It's keto and gluten free too!)

TAKE TIME TO MASTER YOUR CRAFT

If this is going to be your first foray into healthy cooking, don’t expect miracles overnight. Take time to research recipes you want to try and ensure that you have the correct utensils and ingredients.

Nothing motivates like success! So remember that the more you practice, the better you’ll get. Also, as your family starts noticing the improvements, trust me when I say - they’ll let you know. Suppose you’re the family that already practices good eating. In that case, you’ll have it a little easier changing out some of your favorite holiday meals for healthier options - but remember, you don’t have to cancel the Holidays altogether. Just a few changes here and there will make a difference.

However, if you’re the kind of family that’s only beginning to get a grip on healthy living, don’t expect that Rome will be built in a day. Phase-out the worst offenders on your menu slowly. Your family may even begin to notice how much better they feel when these foods are updated to a healthier version.

HEALTHY DOESN’T MEAN ABANDONING HEARTY

You can still create hearty and satisfying meals throughout the winter while staying true to your healthy meal mission.

Take this delicious Honey Balsamic Chicken make in the slow cooker. It's the perfect recipe to throw in the crockpot at the beginning of the day and know you're going to enjoy a healthy and hearty meal at the end of the day.

Or try this red beans and rice in the slow cooker recipe. It’s healthy, filling, and is an excellent addition to a snowy winter’s day, and the flavors will blow your mind.

The thing about embarking on a healthy lifestyle journey is that the sooner you start, the easier it will become. You have so many beautiful things to look forward to when you change your diet for the better. And if you instill good practices in your tiny humans from an early age, keeping those habits will feel like second nature to them.

I hope you use these tips on how to eat well (and healthy!) this holiday season. Let me know in the comments what tips work best for you and your family.

Wishing you a wonderful Holiday season filled with love, laughter, and great food!

Happy Holidays!

Looking for more hearty and healthy recipes? Get my #1 Amazon New Release Cookbook, Nourish Your Body: A 30 Day Healthy & Delicious Meal Plan!

Don't forget to sign up for my email list to get more healthy Holiday tips!