Holidays are a time for celebration but can also be stressful. It’s easy to get caught up in all the festivities and forget about your health. Here are some healthy food ideas that will help you stay on track during this busy season:
1. Make Your Own Holiday Cookies
If you love cookies as much as I do, making them yourself is a great way to save money and calories. You can make delicious holiday treats without using any refined sugar or flour. All you need is eggs, butter, vanilla extract, and baking powder.
2. Keep it Simple with Roasted Vegetables
This year, try roasting vegetables instead of buying them at the store. They are delicious and full of nutrients. Try roasted cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, and more.
3. Eat More Fruit
Fruit is an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other beneficial phytochemicals. The best part? Eating fruit doesn’t have to mean eating candy! Instead, eat fresh fruits like apples, pears, oranges, bananas, berries, peaches, plums, kiwis, grapes, melons, and watermelon.
4. Drink Plenty of Water
If you’re trying to lose weight, drinking plenty of water is one of the most important things you can do. When you drink enough water daily, your body flushes out toxins and helps keep your metabolism high.
5. Get Moving
Exercise not only keeps you fit but it’s proven to boost your mood and energy levels. If you don’t exercise regularly, start walking briskly around the block once every hour while watching TV. Gradually increase your time to 30 minutes three times a week.
6. Cut Back on Alcohol
Alcohol has been linked to heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, liver damage, depression, anxiety, memory loss, dementia, and birth defects. Cutting back on alcohol may seem complicated, but if you want to enjoy the holidays without feeling guilty, consider these tips.
7. Add Some Spice to Your Meals
Spices add flavor and variety to meals. But many spices contain lots of sodium, which can lead to high blood pressure. To avoid adding too much salt to your diet, use herbs and spices in moderation.
8. Use Herbs and Spices Wisely
Herbs and spices aren’t just for cooking anymore. Research shows that certain herbs and spices can lower cholesterol, fight inflammation, reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and protect against cancer. However, some herbs and spices should be avoided because they can cause allergic reactions.
9. Cook With Whole Grains
Whole grains provide more fiber than refined grains, filling you up faster. Whole grains contain magnesium, zinc, iron, B vitamins, and E.
10. Go Meatless Once In A While
Meat isn’t always rotten for you. Lean cuts of meat like chicken, turkey, fish, and tofu are healthy choices. But sometimes, switching from red to white meat can help you reduce saturated fat and add more veggies to your diet.
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