This holiday season you can celebrate, enjoy the food and still remain healthy. Here are some suggestions that I have used with my younger cousins in order to get them eating better:

Foods to Prepare This Holiday Season

Eat foods with no more than seven percent saturated fats. When you cook, use olive oil instead of butter and low-fat soy milk instead of whole milk. Eat hummus instead of cheese—and if you do eat cheese, choose a low-fat alternative.

In all your meals this holiday season, bake, grill or steam the vegetables or the meat. Try to include liberal amounts of fish, lean poultry, legumes, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and to use foods with low glycemic indices.

Examples of Holiday Meals for Kids:

For the holidays, turkey is the highlight of dinner. With the leftovers, why not try to make kids a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato? For a side dish, you can make a fruit salad, or serve the lunch with sugar-free yogurt, carrots or celery sticks.

Pasta and veggies makes another great meal. Toss one cup of whole wheat pasta with mixed vegetables (perhaps with tomatoes and green beans, to give it a red and green “holiday feel”). For protein, top the pasta with grilled chicken and Parmesan cheese.

Foods to Avoid This Holiday Season

According to St. Joseph’s Hospital Cardiac Center, foods with saturated fats increase blood cholesterol levels. This increases the risk of diabetes and other serious conditions, such as heart attacks and strokes.

In general, try to avoid deep fried foods, processed foods, red meat, butter and whole milk. Although it’s okay to have a treat every once in a while, sticking to mostly healthy foods will keep your kids feeling great throughout the holiday season, and help them build lifelong healthy eating habits!

Carolyn is a 20-something year old with a passion for life, fitness and overall well-being. She is an avid cycler, golfer and has known to bust some serious moves on the dance floor. Check out Carolyn’s blog at https://fullonfit.blogspot.com/.

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