As nice as the Christmas season is, it can also get a bit out of control in terms of nutrition if you are not careful. Here are my top 10 tips of keeping it healthy during this wonderful season:

1. start off by making sure that every time you run to the grocery store, you get only healthy food and snacks – including a lot of green veggies, lean proteins, fruits, quinoa, legumes, nuts and seeds. This will allow you to focus on preparing healthy meals, and enjoying healthy snacks
2. make sure you start your day with a glass of water (ideally with some fresh ginger and lemon juice), and make sure that you stay hydrated throughout the day. A lot of times we don’t realize that although we feel hungry, we are actually thirsty…..so before going for a snack, drink a glass of water first
3. knowing your schedule, make sure that you plan your meals for the week, including snacks. This will help you avoid making any unhealthy choices to a minim
4. based on the meal plan that you have made for that week, make sure that you also take some time on Sunday to meal prep. The great advantage here is that this way you avoid making any unhealthy meal choices simply because you are hungry and have no time to prepare a healthy meal
5. during the holiday seasons, there are all kinds of sweet and unhealthy treats in the office. In order to avoid these, make sure that you always bring along a healthy morning and afternoon snack, like fruit for the morning, and some nuts or veggies for the afternoon. You might even want to bring your lunch along with you whenever possible
6. I know this one can be really difficult during the Christmas season, but try to eat a home cooked dinner (from scratch) two to three times a week. This will give you the opportunity to bring a bit more balance, and still fill your body with healthy nutrition
7. whenever you eat out and you have the possibility to order, make sure you  go for a healthy meal, including green veggies and lean protein
8. when you are going to an evening cocktail party, make sure that you have a healthy snack or meal (that you have brought along) prior to going to the party. This way, you won’t feel hungry and you won’t feel the need to go for all the unhealthy snacks
9. when you are at a cocktail party, make sure that you start with a non-alcoholic (preferably still water) drink, followed by an alcohol drink. Make sure that after each alcohol drink, you have a glass of still water
10. when you are at a cocktail party or dinner and you feel like going for an unhealthy meal, or dessert…..simply go for it and enjoy every bite without any bad conscious. Just make sure that you get back on track the following day

I know it is not always easy, but with a little bit of planning we can all eat healthy even in the busy holiday season of Christmas!

Enjoy and stay healthy

Anna