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<\/p>\nWhen you were a child, one of the best parts of the holiday season was probably the delicious meals and sweets that are a part of the celebration. Those cookies and that eggnog still taste good, but now you can\u2019t indulge without worrying about the effect they\u2019re having on your health.<\/p>\n
Many seniors have\u00a0to cut down on foods that contribute to\u00a0blood pressure<\/strong><\/b><\/a>, high cholesterol and obesity as the age. But when holiday celebrations and parties start happening, you can\u2019t go long without seeing those tempting treats all around you.<\/p>\n To get through the holidays unscathed, here are a few ways to enjoy yourself without going overboard:<\/p>\n There seem to be articles every day that contradict our ideas of what\u2019s actually healthy or not. It can get complicated trying to parse from day to day whether or not carbs and dairy are necessary or to be avoided. Instead of worrying, talk to your doctor who\u2019ll be able to comment on what you, specifically, should avoid or seek out based on your current health status.<\/p>\n Beyond the doctor\u2019s orders, you can stick with common sense. Vegetable-heavy foods are generally good and processed sugars should be kept to a minimum. Avoid eating too much of foods high in\u00a0trans fats<\/strong><\/b><\/a>, such as baked or fried goods like cookies and doughnuts. If your doctor said to\u00a0reduce sodium<\/strong><\/b><\/a>, <\/strong><\/b>also\u00a0<\/strong><\/b>be careful how much of the savory food you consume, unless you made it yourself and could control the amount of salt that went in.<\/p>\n Knowing what you should avoid doesn\u2019t mean you won\u2019t be faced with it at the\u00a0first holiday\u00a0party you attend (and every one thereafter). You can\u2019t keep chocolates and cookies out of your life this time of year without foregoing all social engagements. But you can make sure there\u2019s something healthy for you to eat at the party by bringing it yourself.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re there, make yourself a decent-sized serving of your own healthy recipe before you start in on anything else. It will help fill you up some before you start in on the unhealthy snacks around, so you\u2019re not tempted to eat as much of them.<\/p>\n One of the frustrating things about the doctor\u2019s orders to cut down on fats or sweets is realizing how many of your standard holiday recipes are now out of bounds. But you may be able to salvage some of those recipes by\u00a0making a few tweaks<\/strong><\/b><\/a>\u00a0that make them healthier without affecting the flavor too much.<\/p>\n Coconut milk and yogurt can often replace more fatty dairy options. For sweet recipes, applesauce or other fruit purees can be subbed in for butter or margarine. Look at the ingredients in the recipes you\u2019d like to make and look for opportunities to change out the main ingredients that make them unhealthy with something similar but healthier.<\/p>\n Your experimenting may not turn out well, or you could end up liking the healthier version of your holiday recipe even more than the original. The only way to learn is to try it out.<\/p>\n Some of your go-to holiday recipes may not be salvageable with substitutions, but that\u2019s ok. You can make new holiday traditions. Go looking for\u00a0new, tasty recipes<\/strong><\/b><\/a>\u00a0to try that can replace the old standards. You may find you like\u00a0mashed cauliflower<\/strong><\/b><\/a>\u00a0as much as you enjoyed mashed potatoes, or realize that\u00a0vegan vegetable tart<\/strong><\/b><\/a>\u00a0makes a great entr\u00e9e after all. There are so many recipes focused on health out there, you just have to take a little time to start browsing and see what looks good to you.<\/p>\n Eating healthy only seems like a chore before you start to really look into your options. You\u2019ll almost certainly find some healthy recipes that are better than you expected.<\/p>\n You can be really good about sticking with healthy food this year and still consume loads of sugars and unnecessary calories in drinks. Hot chocolate and eggnog are common features during holiday gatherings. Those sugary drinks may make it feel like the holiday season, but at a serious health cost.<\/p>\n But you don\u2019t have to give up on hot beverages to stay happy. Lots of tea companies put together holiday blends to go with the season. You can find teas that taste like\u00a0apple cider<\/strong><\/b><\/a>,\u00a0gingerbread<\/strong><\/b><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0candy canes<\/strong><\/b><\/a>, just to name a few options. While they\u2019re not quite the same as those other beverages, they\u2019re much healthier and can help keep you from feeling the lack.<\/p>\n When there\u2019s a table full of snacks and sweets that people have all brought to the holiday party, it\u2019s tempting to want to try some of everything. But you probably won\u2019t even like it all and you definitely won\u2019t like it for the amount of fat, salt and sugar the different items contain.<\/p>\n Instead, take some time to look\u00a0over\u00a0what\u2019s there and figure out what you want to try the most. Treat yourself to one or two things that look good, and then stick with that healthy item you brought yourself (see #2) to fill you up.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll appreciate the delicious treats you do have more if you\u2019re not feeling like you have to stuff your face with everything you see just cause it\u2019s there. If anyone gives you a hard time about not trying the dish they made, just say you\u2019re following the doctor\u2019s orders and watching what you eat this year.<\/p>\n This is another relatively easy, but important tip. Don\u2019t serve yourself more than you need to get full. You won\u2019t enjoy it more for eating twice as much of it \u2013 you get to appreciate the flavor of the food even if you stick with a few bites rather than a full plate. So intentionally serve yourself less.<\/p>\n A nice benefit of this tip is that, if you stick with it, it can be okay to eat foods that otherwise you feel you should avoid. A few bites of pudding doesn\u2019t pack an unhealthy punch like a big bowl of it does. You can enjoy more of the foods you see and want to try if you can manage to keep them in moderation.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t let the holidays make you veer away from the healthy goals you\u2019ve set for yourself. You can enjoy food and participate in holiday festivities this year without overdoing it with the things the doctor says to avoid. Be thoughtful in what you make and how you eat and you\u2019ll be fine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tips to Eat Healthier During the Holidays When you were a child, one of the best parts of the holiday season was probably the delicious meals and sweets that are a part of the celebration. Those cookies and that eggnog still taste good, but now you can\u2019t indulge without worrying about the effect they\u2019re having on your health. Many seniors […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2199,"featured_media":13054,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[200,96,35],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-13046","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-families-caregivers","8":"category-holiday-fun","9":"category-senior-health-fitness"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Eat Healthier During the Holidays<\/h2>\n
<\/b>1. Know going into the holiday season what you want to avoid.<\/h3>\n
2. Take your own healthy options to holiday gatherings.<\/h3>\n
3. Try favorite recipes with healthier substitutions.<\/h3>\n
4. Try new recipes that are healthier than your old standards, but still look good.<\/h3>\n
<\/b>5. Sub in hot tea for sweeter hot beverages.<\/h3>\n
6. Try not to have everything at the gathering.<\/h3>\n
7. Try keeping your serving sizes small.<\/h3>\n