Extreme Makeover, holiday recipe edition

The holiday season is usually packed with seasonal goodies and rich, decadent meals. Can you make the season healthier? Yes! Even small changes to a holiday recipe can make it a little better for you—and you can take other steps to stay on track.

Good news: You don’t have to skip your family’s favorites to make it a healthy holiday. Simply make adjustments with some of our tips.

Making holiday recipes healthier

You can’t exactly take the chocolate out of your nana’s chocolate pie recipe, but you can make other healthy changes that leave the flavor intact:

• Instead of mashing potatoes by themselves, mash up a blend of potatoes and cauliflower for a lower calorie, more nutritious version of the side dish.
• Trade out sour cream in your recipes for plain, fat-free Greek yogurt, which offers a similar flavor profile with an added dose of protein.
• Use the lite, low-fat or reduced-sodium versions of your ingredients.
• Try replacing oil in a baking recipe with unsweetened applesauce or oil and eggs with pumpkin puree.

Looking for new recipes that will delight your taste buds and be good for you? The American Heart Association offers a collection of holiday recipes!

What else can you do to stay on track?

Tweaking the foods you’re serving this holiday season is a good strategy for staying healthy, but you can take other steps, too. Protect your health and your waistline with these tips:

Eat healthy meals the majority of the time. Give yourself permission to indulge sometimes this holiday season, but practice healthy eating habits the rest of the time. Prepare meals and snacks that contain a good blend of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and a small amount of healthy fat, such as avocado or nuts.

Don’t go to a party hungry. Whether you’re headed to a church event, a family meal or a holiday party, resist the temptation to save up your calories for the buffet table. Instead, eat a balanced snack beforehand that includes lean protein, a complex carb such as a veggie or whole grain, and healthy fat. This way, you won’t be hungry when you arrive and won’t be tempted to overeat.

Choose your party foods wisely. Before filling your plate, survey the options. Prioritize lean protein, such as shrimp or turkey, along with fruits and vegetables. After you’ve eaten your fill of the good stuff, treat yourself to small servings of goodies you can only get during the holidays. A few bites may be enough to satisfy you.

Slow your pace when eating. Most of us rush to fill a hungry stomach, but slowing down can help you eat less. Eating more slowly and intentionally makes you more likely to notice your stomach telling you it’s full. When you notice that you’re starting to feel satiated, push away from the table.

Get plenty of sleep. What does sleep have to do with healthy eating? When you don’t sleep enough, your entire day can be off-kilter. That can lead you to overeat or make poor food choices. Prioritizing sleep this time of year can help you fend off stress and feel more balanced, which will help you make smarter choices.

Keep moving. Don’t have time for your usual exercise routine during the holidays? That’s OK! Just move your body. Aim to get at least 20 to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each day, even if you have to break that into smaller segments. Anything that gets your heart pumping works, so take a brisk walk, rake the lawn, put up the holiday decorations or even have a dance party while wrapping gifts.

Don’t aim for perfection this holiday season. Do what you can, when you can, to be as healthy as possible. The 2025 version of yourself will thank you.

Make these holidays even healthier by scheduling an appointment with an East Jefferson General Hospital primary care provider.