Healthy Eating Tips for the Holidays
- Saf Osmani
- Dec 10, 2020
- 5 min read
The holidays are here, which means parties, relaxing, fun with family and friends, and of course eating lots of yummy food. It is easy for everyone to put healthy eating habits aside and allow yourself to indulge during the holiday season with sweets, high calories and low density foods.
However, with some planning and meal prepping it will be easy to keep yourself on track so when January rolls around you won’t feel guilty or pack on the pounds.
Make Vegetables the Highlight of Your Meals – Veggie-packed meals are a winning choice all-around: veggies are full of vitamins (like A and K) and minerals (like potassium), they keep your calories in check and, because they are high in fiber, they can help you feel more satisfied.
Eat a Variety of Foods
Eat balanced meals that include a variety of healthy foods. For example, you’ll get protein and fiber from beans; leafy greens are great sources of vitamins A, C and K. Choose produce from all colors of the rainbow to get all the benefits. Red tomatoes have heart-healthy lycopene, blue blueberries have brain-boosting anthocyanins and orange sweet potatoes have lots of vitamin A to help keep eyes healthy. Try a simple well-balanced grain bowl: top brown rice, or quinoa, with beans and a mix of sautéed or roasted veggies.
Don’t Assume Vegan Food Products Are Healthier
Vegan cookies aren’t necessarily any better for your waistline than regular cookies. Processed vegan foods often contain saturated-fat-laden palm oil and coconut oil. Stick to whole, nutritious foods that just happen to be vegan, such as carrots and hummus, nuts and dried fruit, whole-grain tortilla chips with guacamole. Indulging in vegan treats every so often is fine, but don’t justify them as “healthy” simply because they’re vegan.
Eating whole foods that are plant based like fruits and vegetables daily. This cleanses your body and detoxes, increases energy, helps you to sleep well, improves digestion, less congestion, have glowing skin, and decreases bloating.
Hydrate
Make and drink your own vitamin infused water throughout the day, cut up herbs,fruits, vegetables, the night before and place in a jar with water and place in the fridge. drink this throughout the day.
Get Your Vitamin D – Walk outside in the sun daily for 30 minutes. Make sure to get in a workout daily no matter what you do – walk on the beach, strength training, go cycling, hiking in the trails or swimming.
Pump Up Your Iron
Vegans can still get this mineral from beans, legumes and leafy greens. Say hello to hearty, bean filled soups! Beans are magical for the human body. They are great for weight loss, diabetics, and all nutritarians. Beans are indeed a super food and, furthermore, and important member of the GBOMBS family. ⠀⠀ People who eat more beans tend to have lower blood pressure(not to mention greater fiber and mineral intake, lower body weight, and smaller waist circumference). Beans are rich in fiber (especially soluble fiber) and minerals, and low in Glycemic Index.
Plant Based Protein – Vegan sources of protein include: tofu, tempeh, edamame (soybeans), lentils,chickpeas and beans. Nuts, like almonds and walnuts, and seeds, like sunflower and pumpkin seeds, also deliver protein.
Meal Prep on the Weekend– make a big batch of oatmeal, brown rice or quinoa, broiled vegetables, big pot of soup, and chop vegetables for salad.
Smoothies
Easiest thing you can make is a smoothie, first add all the greens, then veggies & fruits you like, dates, cinnamon, chia seed, flax seed, hemp seed, coconut water, turmeric, ginger, berries, etc. Have it for breakfast, lunch, post work-out, great way to refuel your body. It is not hard, its easy simple delicious, filled with good carbs and fuel for your body. If you don’t have time to make it in the morning make it the night before pick your favorite fruits and vegetables and place in the blender and put it in the fridge.
Sweet or Savory Steelcut Oats
They are a high protein grain that contains 7g of protein in every 1/4 cup serving of dry oats. They are also low in saturated fat, minimally processed, and they contain lots of fiber. During meal prep on the weekend boil a basic batch to last for the week and add whatever toppings you’d like in the morning. You can make it sweet or savory depending on your mood.
Some topping ideas:
Sliced bananas, apples, strawberries, pears, mangoes
Fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or pomegranate arils
Dried fruit, like dried cranberries and raisins
Toasted chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans and almonds
Chopped dates, figs or apricots
Flaxseed, sunflower seedsor chia seeds
Toasted or raw shredded coconut
Coconut Curry
Cooked vegetables
Sauteed onions and mushrooms
Tangy tomato chutney
Lentils
Salad
Our favorite dinner is a big rainbow salad and a small bowl of fruit anything that’s in season, currently we are enjoying citrus fruits and pomegranate. Fill your belly with nutritious, delicious food.
Add every single color of rainbow vegetables imaginable. You can use any ingredient you like in your salad. If you don’t like something don’t add it. We personally recommend 1 large salad a day, Make it your main meal. So many nutrients, minerals and protein, nutrient dense food. It helps you feel alive and so energetic.
We love kale, spinach, romaine, purple cabbage it has so many antioxidants you can add citrus in your salad, add shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, add some rainbow bell peppers, red, orange, yellow green, celery for natural sodium, pomegranate seeds, raw organic seeds, add some fruits, oranges, pear, apple, chopped dates or figs, seeds.
This is your magical salad you can add anything else you would like. Dressing: Make your own dressing with blended fruits, nuts, dates, tahini or add hummus.
GBOMBS Coined by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, stands for Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries and Seeds and represent some of the most health promoting, disease preventive, immune boosting foods on the planet.
”G-BOMBS” is an acronym that you can use to remember the best anti-cancer, health-promoting foods on the planet.These are the foods that you should eat every day, making up a significant portion of your diet. They are extremely effective at preventing chronic disease, including cancer and promoting health and longevity.
G – Greens
Raw leafy greens leafy greens (such as kale, bok choy, broccoli, and brussel sprouts) contain only about 100 calories per pound, and are packed with nutrients, excellent tool for weight loss. Your greens are where the protein comes from.
B – Beans
Beans (and other legumes as well) are a powerhouse of superior nutrition, and the most nutrient-dense carbohydrate source. Very inexpensive, sprout, cooked beans.
Beans are digested slowly, having a stabilizing effect on blood sugar, which promotes satiety and helps to prevent food cravings. Plus they contain soluble fiber, which lowers cholesterol levels.
O– Onions
Onions, along with leeks, garlic, chives, shallots, and scallions, make up the Allium family of vegetables, which have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular and immune systems, as well as anti-diabetic and anti-cancer effects.
M – Mushrooms
Consuming mushrooms regularly is associated with decreased risk of breast, stomach, and colorectal cancers.
B – Berries
Blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries are true super foods.Naturally sweet and juicy, berries are low in sugar and high in nutrients –they are among the best foods you can eat. Their vibrant colors mean that they are full of antioxidants, including flavonoids and antioxidant vitamins—berriesare some of the highest antioxidant foods in existence.
S – Seeds
Seeds and nuts contain healthy fats and are rich in a spectrum of micronutrients, including minerals, and antioxidants. Flax, chia, and hemp seeds are extremely rich sources of omega-3 fats. In addition to the omega-3s, flaxseeds are rich in fiber and lignans.
Check our recipes tab for more inspiration on what to cook. Our 21-day meal plan will help you with tips, grocery list and how to get started on a healthy eating plan.
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