Holiday Health: Staying Active and Eating Well
Being a parent during the holidays may not feel like much of a vacation. Balancing family events and daily activities while your children are not on their usual schedules can be challenging, and encouraging healthy choices with holiday treat temptations all around can be difficult. While it is important to relax and take time to enjoy the season, some simple planning and lifestyle adjustments can help everyone, kids and adults alike, stay active and healthy during the holidays. In this guide you’ll find resources that can help you and your family to make healthy choices during the holiday hustle.
Staying Active and Making Time to Move
Making time to move your body can be surprisingly challenging this time of year. We are prone to more screen time and less movement as cold weather and fewer hours of daylight tend to limit the amount of time we spend outside. This holiday season, try and make it a point to balance your rest time with intentional movement activities. Get creative and make a plan to get your body up and moving!
If you are hosting a gathering with kids this year, why not plan some movement-filled activities to accompany your holiday meal. Focusing on the fun aspects of exercise rather than focusing specifically on the health benefits, can be motivating for some children. Check out this article for tips to make fitness more fun.
If your kids enjoy dancing and silly songs, check out the free videos and movement resources on Go Noodle! Use their videos to help get everyone up and moving at home or on the go by streaming on your television or mobile device.
If you are traveling by car, plan to make frequent stops to get your bodies moving. Look for parks, trails and large open spaces where you can hike or kick a ball around, if the weather permits. If you are traveling by plane, how about some terminal-friendly movement games? This article from Super Healthy Kids offers tips for exercising while traveling by plane, train or automobile any time of year.
Don’t forget to be active together as a family. There’s no better way to encourage your children to move than to model healthy habits. Why not pair that with a big goal and a fun event by training for a race together? Active.com has listings for holiday race events around the country. Many events have walking options if running isn’t your thing, and some even offer virtual events so you can participate without leaving your own community.
Eating on the Go
The holiday hustle seems to always have us on the go which may mean fast meals and quick food choices. With a little extra planning you can make sure that you’re prepared with quick snacks and meals that are healthy and full of body fueling energy!
Whether traveling by plane or car you’ll find no shortage of fast food at every stop. This article from the Cleveland Clinic offers suggestions for travel-friendly foods that can help you avoid the temptation to reach for options that may be convenient, but aren’t always healthy.
Planning a family road trip is a ton of fun, but coming up with easy road trip meal ideas for your family can be stressful. This list from Treasured Mom includes ideas for what to pack, and what to avoid when packing snacks and meals for the road.
Not sure what foods you can take on a plane? You’re not alone! Before heading to the airport visit the TSA’s website for the most up-to-date information on travel items that are permitted in flight.
Have you ever caught yourself snacking and not sure why? People tend to snack and munch because they are bored, or when they’re just thirsty. One great way to combat mindless snacking is to hydrate yourself. This article from the Mayo Clinic outlines optimal water intake and offers tips for staying hydrated, and this list includes tools ranging from smart water bottles to apps to fruit infusers that can help remind you to drink more water.
Holiday Meals
Eating big meals and attending parties with lots of interesting munchies is a big part of the holiday experience for many people. This holiday season, try to be aware of what you’re eating and feeding your families on big event days.
Eat a small meal or protein-filled snack with your family before you head to a party. You’ll be less tempted to graze on appetizers if you feel full when you arrive.
Be knowledgeable and think about what you’re choosing to eat. You don’t have to see a label to identify fried and sugar-filled foods. Better yet, bring a dish to share that will meet your nutritional needs and fill you up so that you can eat smaller portions of the less healthy options that are available.
Remember that portion size matters. Before attending a holiday dinner visit MyPlate.gov for templates that can help you make decisions about portion size.
Food and Your Child’s Mental Health
What we learn about food as children shapes the way we think about and relate to food in the future. The things we say as adults can have a lasting impact on our kids, even if we have the best of intentions when we open our mouth. Staying active and making nutritious food choices can lead to increased energy, improvements in mood and mental health, and an overall better quality of life for everyone in your family. During the holidays, and every day for that matter, use these tips to help create a positive dialogue surrounding healthy eating with the children in your life.
Let children make decisions about their own body. Don’t insist that they eat everything on their plate if they tell you that they’re full. You don’t have to waste food that they choose not to eat, instead try putting it away and reheating leftovers rather than insisting they clean their plate.
Avoid bargaining or offering food as a reward. If a child is told they get dessert as a reward for eating their vegetables, behaving well at a family event, or being nice to their sister, they may begin to connect those positive behaviors with unhealthy foods. Over the holidays remind kids that the not-so-healthy foods they may get to have are special treats for a special day. We can’t eat them every day because they don’t give us the energy we need to stay active, but treats are ok on a special day like Thanksgiving.
Try not to label foods as “good,” or “bad.” Foods are just different and do different things to help our bodies. Try the words “sometime” and “anytime” to identify different foods instead! This resource from Sesame Street can help you identify foods that fuel our body and can be eaten anytime you’re hungry and ready to eat, and foods that are not healthy so they’re best eaten just some of the time.
Be mindful of the words you use to describe your own food choices. When you say something like “if I eat that, I’ll get fat,” your negative thoughts about food or your own self image can impact a child’s way of thinking as well. If you’re choosing not to have particular foods at a holiday gathering, try to make that decision quietly without explaining the reasons behind your choices. And if you do decide to indulge in a “sometime” food, speak positively about that choice rather than describing it as “being bad,” “cheating,” or referencing the negative impact it could have on your body.
If you are looking for ways to help your child build a healthy relationship with food, check out the Feeding Your Kids Foundation. Their program helps you make small changes every day that collectively make a big impact in your child’s life. You can be ready for healthy holidays for years to come with this program.
Share these resources with your family and friends to help everyone have a safe, happy and healthy holiday season!
Contributed by Krista Lehde, Nutrition Consultant, Mother of Three, and owner of UpBeet Cooking. Master Level Certified: Nutrition & Wellness, Holistic Nutrition, Weight Management Specialist, Sports Nutritionist