7 Tips to Keep Little Ones Eating Healthy and Happy this Holiday Season
Our friends at Ellary’s Greens are all about healthy eating for kids and adults! They’ve offered these great tips to help you and your family survive the holidays without overindulging (while still enjoying the festivities of course!).
1. Feed your kids a light meal or snack before going to the big party. Things like: whole grain crackers, dried or fresh fruit, nuts, raw veggies, and hummus.
2. When your kids arrive home starving and ready to eat, have healthy snacks sitting out on a counter, desk or table ready to go.
-Try veggies and hummus on a platter cut up and ready to go when your kids come in the door. You can buy baby carrots, baby tomatoes, red, yellow, and orange peppers, and cucumbers (only needing to cut the cucumbers and the peppers).
-Unsalted peanuts and almonds are GREAT in a bowl with raisins for a savory-sweet treat.
-Grapes are nice too!
3. When heading to parties try this philosophy: “Let’s have one here, and take the rest home”. Delayed gratification means they won’t make impulsive decisions. Often kids are of the mindset “If I don’t have it now, it will never be here again.” They may get home and realize they don’t even want the sweets. Or they may see all of the other healthy eating options at home. They may get home and see there are too many sweets in their bag to handle.
4. Offer to bring a dish to the party, so you know there will be at least one healthy item available.
5. Teach your kids that it’s okay to say ‘No’. If they are not hungry, they don’t need to accept the treats being offered to them. And they can always bring the treats home, so they don’t have the feeling they’re missing out.
6. Trading can work: trading in Halloween candy for a toy or money. The same can hold true for Christmas and Hanukkah candy. Then bring the treats to your local police or fire station – they always appreciate it!
7. Save treats to donate and give to someone in need or who isn’t invited to parties. Help your child feel good about sharing treats and foregoing gorging in the name of helping someone else and brightening his/her day.
Happy and Healthy Holidays to all!
