Your 6 Step Healthy Holiday Survival Guide

Having visions of less-than-healthy sugar plum fairies? How to involve the family while keeping your healthy holiday fun, festive, and fabulous!

The holidays are upon us. While this time of the year is exciting, it is often filled with stress eating and trying to keep it cool in front of the in-laws. Here are a few easy tips to make sure you stay on top of your game and make the most out of every moment with your friends and family.

How to keep your family (and you!) from getting caught in the indulgence of the holidays?

Make Healthy Hot Cocoa

Hot chocolate can be delicious and fun without melting sugar into milk. Have your family help you stir some unsweetened cocoa, vanilla almond milk, and some coconut sugar into a pot, add some delicious spices, like chai or cinnamon, and enjoy this guilt-free holiday treat!

Bring Excitement to Your Cup

Whether it’s a cute mug to put your hot cocoa in or a fancy water glass with fun shaped ice cubes – everyone loves a little festivity!

Try making your own DIY mugs or painting wine glasses. Make the kids feel included by having them paint their own plastic wine glasses! Instead of stressing what’s in the cup, spend your time making their water glasses the coolest glasses around.

Leave Carrots for Santa and his Reindeer

Everyone leaves Santa milk and cookies. What about his reindeer? Don’t they need a little fuel? They are the ones flying the gifts around the world all night long. Instead of milk and cookies, leave Santa and his reindeer some carrots to snack on. Who knows, maybe when the family wakes up there will be a few carrots missing and some chewed up ones on the ground! Those reindeer must have been very excited.

Try Some Festive Nice Cream

“Nice cream” (blended up frozen bananas, cashew milk, and cocoa powder) is a guilt-free ice cream everyone can enjoy! To make this treat holiday–appropriate add a few drops of red food coloring to one batch and green to another. Each person gets a scoop of every color to make for a desert that tastes as good as it looks!

Eat Before You Leave the House

The best way to stop yourself (and the kiddos) from snacking at the holiday parties is to eat before you leave! This may seem silly if you are going to the party to eat, but if you’re full you won’t be as tempted to snack, and when you go to load up your plate there will be more self-control for portion control. Don’t be afraid to try a little of everything, but do make sure you’re enjoying something from the vegetable tray. Your mind and body will thank you later.

Get Outside

Especially if you live somewhere with snow, go play outside. Walk, run, sled, ski, snowboard, build a fort in the snow, enjoy! Building a fort out of snow requires a lot of energy and what better way to burn energy with your kids (or spouse, or dogs!) than creating something together. Find a big hill and go sledding; walking back up the hill between rides will definitely make sure the kids sleep well and maybe even allow you to sleep in!

The holidays are meant to be enjoyed, and you deserve the enjoy them! Play, love, be merry. Happy Holidays!

Try these no-bake vegan Christmas cookies for a simple, no-hassle holiday treat!