Hey friends!

This is my favorite time of the year! I love the crisp air, changing leaves, a warm fire, and the excitement of spending time with family and friends over a wonderful meal.

For some of us, food and the holidays can be a bit stressful. In fact, several clients that I have worked with have either worried about falling off the wagon during the holidays or offending a loved one if they don’t want to eat some of the foods that maybe they did in the past.

The best way to combat this is to have a plan. Decide ahead of time what you are ok with and what you aren’t. If you are eating at someone else’s home you likely won’t have much control over what they are serving. Here are a few tips that I have found helpful.

Remember it’s about what you do most of the time not all the time that counts. If you are eating a clean, healthy diet majority of the time a day of indulging in some of your favorite foods is not going to hurt.

Drink lots of water ahead of time. Keeping yourself hydrated before a meal will help with digestion and minimize overeating.

Eat lots of fresh veggies leading up to the dinner. This will ensure you still get some healthy foods in and again help with digestion.

Fill your plate with larger portions of veggies, and go a little lighter on the sides and meat.

Bring something healthy that you like to the dinner. A salad, mashed cauliflower etc.

DON’T STRESS! It’s one day. Life is about balance and joy. If eating the foods you grew up eating (healthy or not) make you happy then enjoy! You can get right back on track at the next meal.

Click HERE for some healthy Thanksgiving recipes. If you give them a try I’d love to know what you think.

XO,

Nicole