By Jenni Wolf
Welcome to the Holiday Food Survival Guide!
As much as I wanted that to sound like the luring click-bait we see on social media, there are no surprises or fancy tricks here. No cleanses that cost a fortune, no mysterious concoctions to drink and no holiday-week workout regimens.
Just some simple tips and reminders that will help you to have a mindful and enjoyable food experience this holiday season.
Eat consistently.
It is easy to get caught up in all the holiday to-dos and rush out the door before you’ve eaten anything or skip lunch in favor of crossing more off your list. This will increase your vulnerability to feeling tired and irritable and likely leave you overly hungry and disconnected from your body’s cues.
If you don’t want to dive head-first into the cookie tin at the end of the night, make sure you are grabbing something at each mealtime throughout the day. Adding in snacks is even better.
Check in with your cues.
Typically, I recommend eating a meal every 4 to 5 hours and a snack every 2 to 3 hours. But your cues won’t always line up with that schedule perfectly.
Before eating, check in with yourself to notice how hungry you feel and gain a better awareness of what might serve you best. Are you “snack hungry” or “meal hungry”?
If you are experiencing meal-level hunger and you reach for Aunt Dory’s homemade caramel corn, it is likely you may eat a meal’s worth of it! Caramel corn is delicious, but a meal’s worth doesn’t sound pleasant to me.
Instead, plating a few handfuls of popcorn with a leftover ham sandwich and some green bean casserole seems like a more enjoyable and helpful option for you and your body.
How does “future you” want to feel heading to bed or in the morning after a holiday cocktail hour of drinks and cheesy snacks? Being mindful about how you want to feel both during and after the event can increase awareness of the behaviors and choices that would be helpful to make. Setting an intention for the event can help hold yourself accountable.
Give intentional permission to enjoy foods without guilt.
This can take a lot of mindfulness practice, as it doesn’t come easily to most people. Instead of letting food rules influence your food choices, work to recognize any negative food judgments or negative self-talk around food and reframe these thoughts.
Doing that can help prevent the “all-or-nothing” mentality that can often set in, which can lead you to restrict and then later overeat. Not to mention, it clears the way for you to eat the special holiday foods you enjoy unconditionally, making the season less stressful and even merrier.
Jenni Wolf, a registered dietitian, writes about food and nutrition.
Christmas sprinkle cookies: Practice mindfulness to help support eating your holiday favorites in a way that feels good!Photo by Jenni Wolf.
Holiday snack spread: Plate sweet treats with a cheese, crackers and nuts for a more balanced and satisfying
