9 Nutritionist-Approved Healthy Holiday Tips
How can you encourage kids to enjoy themselves to the fullest this season, but also stay healthy? It doesn’t have to be a challenge! Here are some ideas.
1. Color it up
Get festive and have fun with this! Make fruits and veggies the superstars of your child’s plate. Cut them up into unique shapes and mix and match the colors to reflect whatever holiday you celebrate.
2. Keep portion sizes age-appropriate
This can be tricky because every child is different. The recommended food portion sizes for kids depend on their age, weight and gender. You may choose to “eyeball” the food or actually measure it—depending on how much time and patience you have! Click below for a more detailed guide, broken down by age.
3. Have fun together—with choices!
What better time than the holidays to involve your kids in all kitchen activities? Kids love choices because choosing makes them feel empowered. So let them choose a healthy recipe, go over each ingredient and what the health benefits are. For example, “Blueberries have fiber and antioxidants. Those are good for digesting food and fighting diseases like cancer.”
4. Stick to a schedule the best you can—and stay active.
This is especially important if your child is on an extended break from school. Try to match breakfast, snack and lunch times with those at school, and balance the day out with plenty of physical activity. Important: don’t skip meals to try to “save room” for a larger meal later; this can lead to overindulgence.
Maybe you take a walk as a family after the holiday meal or just get active inside instead of crowding around the food table.
Kids love routine, so try to keep it up!
5. Keep healthy snacks on hand
Encourage healthy snacking before offering the fun, indulgent treats. This will help your child fill up on healthy fats, fibers and pro
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