Tips for Eating Healthy and Avoiding Weight Gain During the Holidays

Stay healthy this holiday season with simple tips to avoid weight gain. Discover easy food swaps, mindful portion control and nutritious holiday dishes like roasted veggies and lean proteins. Enjoy festive treats in moderation, repurpose leftovers creatively and keep your family active and engaged with healthy holiday traditions.

The holidays are often filled with joyful gatherings, delicious food and a little indulgence, which can sometimes make it difficult for people trying to eat healthy or manage their weight. But eating healthy during the holidays doesn’t have to be a burden. With some mindful practices and a little creativity, it’s possible to enjoy the festivities without overdoing it.

Whether it’s about developing mindful habits, avoiding weight gain or making simple holiday food swaps, we’ll explore tips to help you feel good throughout the season.

Can You Eat Healthy During the Holidays?

Absolutely! Eating healthy doesn’t mean depriving yourself, but the holidays also don’t mean you should overindulge every single day. It's all about moderation, planning ahead and making small adjustments to your favourite foods without sacrificing flavour or satisfaction.

What Are the Healthiest Holiday Foods?

Many holiday dishes can be calorie-heavy, but some seasonal foods can also be nutritious:

• Sweet potatoes, cranberries, winter squashes and dark leafy greens are packed with vitamins and minerals.
• Turkey, often a holiday centrepiece, is an excellent source of lean protein, especially turkey breast.
• Salads add variety and colour. Consider ingredients such as quinoa, spinach, beets and other fruits and vegetables.
• You can also find healthy fats in dishes that use olive oil, nuts and seeds.

If you’re hosting a party, find ways to highlight these nutritious foods in your holiday spread, making it easy for guests to enjoy healthy options alongside traditional favourites.

Tasty Alternatives and Holiday Food Swaps

No matter how hard we try to stick to healthy eating during the holiday season, there’s always that one indulgent treat we can’t resist. Instead of feeling like we need to eliminate our favourite holiday foods, we can make a few simple adjustments to boost their nutritional value.

A good way to start is to look at your ingredients and see if you can substitute them with healthier options with lower fat and calorie content.

Here are a few ideas:

• Swap mashed potatoes for mashed cauliflower.
• Use plain or Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
• Roast your veggies instead of frying them.
• Replace ground beef with ground turkey.
• Use brown rice instead of white for more fibre.
• Choose whole-grain bread for stuffing: Whole grains add fibre, which helps with digestion and keeps you fuller longer.

These small changes help reduce calorie intake without losing the essence of your holiday dishes.

How to Avoid Weight Gain Over the Holidays

Weight gain can be common during the holidays, but it doesn’t have to be inevitable. With a few mindful habits, you can enjoy the season while staying on track. Here are some key strategies:

• Mind your portions: Use a smaller plate or start with smaller servings. Only go back for seconds if you’re truly hungry. This helps prevent overeating while allowing you to enjoy your favourite holiday dishes.
• Stay active: Incorporate physical activity into your holiday routine. Whether it’s a postdinner family walk or playing a game at the park, staying active can help balance out indulgent meals.
• Hydrate: Drinking plenty of water throughout the day can prevent overeating. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger, so keeping hydrated helps you stay in tune with your body’s actual needs.
• Be mindful of beverages: Seasonal drinks can be loaded with sugar and calories. Opt for lighter versions or set strict limits for yourself to avoid extra calorie intake.
• Balance your plate: While it's tempting to focus on festive treats, make sure your meals include nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. This helps you enjoy the indulgent dishes without going overboard.
• Focus on company, not just the food: The holidays are a time for connection and celebration. Instead of making food the main focus, enjoy conversations and quality time with family and friends. Talking more and eating less can help you slow down and savour both the food and the moment.

By shifting your focus to the joy of spending time with loved ones and using these mindful eating habits, you can navigate the holiday season while still enjoying your favourite foods – without overindulging.

What to Do with Holiday Leftovers?

Big holiday parties are often extravagant, which not only leads to overeating but also contributes to food waste. Why not use leftovers to make something healthy?

Turkey, for example, lends itself to several uses:

• Shred it into meal-size portions and freeze. It’s great to have it handy to add to salads and soups. 
• Stir-fry leftover turkey with some veggies and soy sauce for a quick and healthy stir-fry.
• Try this turkey lettuce cups recipe: Heat up some minced leftover turkey with some diced scallions and a little Chinese hoisin sauce, then spoon into iceberg lettuce leaves. It’s a light and refreshing change from the usual turkey sandwiches.
• Make turkey soup. Once the turkey bones have been stripped of all their meat, simmer them with onion, celery, carrots, salt and pepper for a few hours to produce a delicious stock. 
• If your original sweet potato dish wasn’t too sweet, you can dice up the leftovers with the leftover turkey, then saute with some onions and other veggies for a one-dish hash. Serve with a green salad and you’re all set.

Don’t throw away cranberry sauce either:

• Cranberry sauce can be amazing on top of plain yogurt or oatmeal, or spooned over mixed fresh fruit for a quick dessert.
• You can blend it with nonfat cream cheese for a tasty spread for your whole-grain toast.
• I also like to spike my cranberry sauce with some ginger, garlic and soy sauce, and serve on grilled fish or tofu. It tastes like a sophisticated barbecue sauce.

Stuffing and green bean casserole are some of the highest-calorie leftovers, so you’ll want to use them sparingly and stretch them out with some healthier ingredients:

• Add some canned tomatoes and chopped turkey to your leftover stuffing to make a filling for stuffed peppers.
• For the leftover green bean casserole, try heating it up with some white wine or broth, then add some garlic and hot pepper flakes, and toss with some whole-grain pasta.

If You Have Kids, Make Healthy Holidays Fun

Getting younger kids to eat healthy during the holidays can be challenging, but it’s possible with a little creativity. Teaching them to make healthy choices from a young age can set the stage for them to have healthy, active lifestyles as they get older.

Here are a few tricks:

• Involve them in cooking: Kids are more likely to eat healthy foods if they help prepare them. Let them wash vegetables or stir ingredients.
• Play the “Eat the Rainbow” Game: Challenge kids to make their meals as colourful as they can. They can use strawberries for red, bananas for yellow, and spinach for green. This will get children excited about eating fresh fruits and vegetables while also ensuring they get a variety of nutrients.
• Make a bingo board of fruits and veggies and cross one off each time someone tries a new one and see who can fill up their board first. Prepare healthy rewards for the winners to maintain their interest in eating their fruits and vegetables, such as letting them pick the dinner menu for a few days.
• Use cookie cutters to make fun shapes with fruits and vegetables.
  
  Families that cook together bond over shared experiences, discover culinary interests and create new traditions. Make holiday mealtime a family affair: the planning, the prep, the cleanup and the time together sharing the table. The payoff is priceless, and it creates a warm, supportive environment to help make the healthy choice the easy one for you and your family.

Wrapping It Up: Feel Your Best This Holiday Season

Eating healthy during the holidays doesn’t have to be difficult. With a bit of creativity and a mindful approach, you can enjoy the festive season without compromising your health goals. Incorporate fruits and vegetables, make simple food swaps and don’t forget to enjoy your favourite treats in moderation. By focusing on balance, you’ll come out of the holidays feeling your best!

Visit our Wellness Resources  for more tips on healthy eating and weight management.

About the Author

Susan Bowerman  is the senior director of Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training at Herbalife. She also serves as the chair of the Herbalife Dietetic Advisory Board and the Outer Nutrition Advisory Board. As a registered dietitian in the United States, Ms. Bowerman educates Herbalife Independent Distributors about our global nutrition philosophy and is responsible for the development of nutrition education and training materials.