Healthy Foods to Fuel Your Holiday Weekend
The holidays are upon us and it’s easy to end up feeling sluggish after enjoying all the delicious sweets, festive drinks, and favorite comfort foods. I think enjoying these things is one of the best things about the holidays, but there are some steps you can take to help you feel better and enjoy the holidays without a stomachache. In today’s post, I’ll share the three things to look for when choosing which foods to eat before you attend your holiday events.
Protein
There are likely plenty of sources of protein in your holiday meal, such as ham, prime rib, salami, or cheese. Protein is great because it helps make us feel full, but many of these sources listed are also high in saturated fat, which is less heart-healthy.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t enjoy these foods, but something that can help is filling up on lean sources of protein earlier in the day to set you up for success at your holiday meal. Some examples of lean protein include:
Eggs - make an egg and veggie scramble for breakfast
Beans - eat a rice, bean, and veggie bowl for lunch
Lentils - make lentil soup
Plain low-fat Greek yogurt - mix with peanut butter and berries
Natural peanut butter - spread on whole grain toast or blend into a smoothie
Nuts and seeds - eat on their own or mix with dried fruit and dark chocolate chips to make your own trail mix
Eating the lean protein sources listed above won’t stop you from enjoying the higher-fat proteins at your holiday meal, but it may help you eat less because you started your day off with protein!
Fiber
Something that is lacking in most holiday meals is fiber! Fiber plays a huge role in healthy digestion, so not getting enough fiber can leave you constipated and not feeling great. Fiber also helps fill us up, so without enough of it, you may find you need to eat more to feel full. Fiber is found in plant foods, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
I recommend starting your day with a fiber-filled breakfast anytime, but especially during the holidays. Here are some ways to add fiber to your breakfast:
Mash avocado on whole grain toast
Add chopped mushrooms, bell pepper, and zucchini to your scrambled eggs or omelet
Spread peanut butter on whole grain toast
Make whole grain banana walnut muffins
Add berries to yogurt or oatmeal
Make overnight oats with chia seeds
Healthy fat
Finally, the last thing that can be helpful is starting your day off with a small amount of healthy fat. Many holiday foods are packed with less healthy saturated fats, so balancing this with some healthier unsaturated fats is helpful. You’ll notice that most of these foods are also good sources of protein and/or fiber too! The best sources of unsaturated fat include:
Nuts and seeds
Natural peanut or almond butter
Avocado
Olives
Olive and avocado oil
Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, trout, halibut)
Remember, even healthy fats contain a lot of calories, so be careful with portion sizes. Try adding avocado or peanut butter to your breakfast or lunch, or snack on mixed nuts before you attend a holiday event.
As you can see, a lot of the foods listed above overlap. If you can fill up on protein, fiber, and healthy fat before your holiday event, you’ll likely make healthier choices and eat less at your holiday meal. This will help you still enjoy the holidays but do so feeling better!
