Healthy Holiday Season

As a Holistic Nutritionist and a Culinary Nutrition expert my job is provide as much information and as many tools as I can to help you navigate the world of healthy eating and cooking with ease and joy, especially now during the holiday season. 

Your health has hit the top ranks of your priority list and you have managed to completely avoid gluten, eliminate dairy, and even lower your sugar intake. Well done! It takes a lot of effort and courage to do so.  Making changes in our diet is not only a personal choice but also a social one, and taking your eating preferences to the realm of social life isn’t always a walk in the park.

The holiday season is here and as we become more social we are also exposed to foods we would not typically eat, which can overwhelm you and create feelings of stress, especially if you feel you need to justify your way of eating to family, friends, and/or colleagues. This is completely normal, and there are some tools to help you confidently take a pass on the cheese-stuffed puff pastry. 

Let’s dig into the game plan!

First, before heading out to a social gathering where you don’t know the food options that will be available to you, have a delicious smoothie. In order for that smoothie to serve its purpose it needs to have plant based protein powder, fibre and fat. This way it can truly help you satisfy your hunger hormones, making you feel full and less prone to cravings.  A delicious chocolate, almond butter, chia smoothie will hit the spot.

Next, be prepared. If possible bring with you an appie or dish approved by you than can be shared with your friends and loved ones. This way you get to share  food that is in alignment with your eating and cooking beliefs. A word of advice here, share without judgment or preaching of any sort. If someone is complimentary about your dish then it is fair play to showcase the special properties of that dish. 

Oops! You are at the gathering now, and didn’t have time to prepare a smoothie, or a dish to share, so what to do? Two words: Don’t panic.  Most of the time there will be foods available that can meet your standards. If you are a meat eater, look for foods such as smoked salmon, prosciutto, or any other type of meat that has been minimally processed. If you are a veggie forward eater, you will definitely have some veggie options available to you, however, if you are not sure about the dip, skip it. 

What about cheese? I am not sure why, but cheese is one of those items that is just simply irresistible at any type of social gathering or holiday celebration. My recommendation is to stick to hard cheeses, they have little to no lactose content and will cause less disturbances than their soft counterparts.  

Lastly, let go of all feelings of being overwhelmed or stressed about food.  To have fun and enjoy your gathering should be your number one priority. Yes, food is a big part of that, but whether you can find something to eat that completely embodies your food philosophy, or you decide for one night to let go of certain rules – understanding the consequences – sharing food is a soul fulfilling action, and as important as what we eat, with whom we eat is equally relevant, so have fun, eat and be merry!