Eat Healthy During the Holidays

While blog posts this time of year are on toys, how to have stress-free holidays, and what to buy your grandmother, it is important to touch upon another issue many of us face: how to eat healthy when faced with all the eggnog.
The first tip is to exercise. Easier said then done, I know, but think in small increments. For example, instead of circling the mall parking lot looking for a spot near the mall entrance, park far away and walk. Take the stairs rather than the escalator or elevator at the mall. While on the phone or the computer placing orders for Hot Holiday Toys, do squats while standing. Even if you don’t do these little things the rest of the year, do it during the holidays when food leans towards cookie swaps and high fat appetizers, and you’ll have a better chance starting the new year without having to lose the extra weight.

Eat Healthy

The second tip, of course, is to watch what you eat. Pass on the cheese dip, and stick with the veggies. If you really must taste the eggnog, have a small taste rather than a whole glass. The basic mantra is to avoid when you can, and minimize when you can’t.
Yet, I know my biggest problem is when I a fly out the door without anything to eat. With Holiday traffic, long lines at the cash registers, extra time debating what to get my in-laws, time passes by fast and then I find that I am STARVING! And the kids enviably start getting cranky too.
If you can, pack snacks in advance: a nutrition bar, some healthy crackers, etc. However, easier said then done, right? Often I make a sudden stop, or think of something in the midst of shopping for something else, and I never expect to be out that long. Hence, never packing anything to take with me because I had convinced myself that I will be ‘right back’. So, as a family, during the Holidays, we eat on the go more often than any other time of year.

Holiday Happy Meals

This year, our quick stops will include McDonald’s™ because of the new addition to their menu that my kids love. Cuties® will be an option starting December 1st. They only will be at McDonald’s through March 2015 while the oranges are in season because McDonald’s is partnering with a family owned fruit grower in California to supply the oranges.
What we like about Cuties in particular is that they are easy to peel. So my kids can be self sufficient, and it is one of the fruits they like. So win-win for Mom here! And my kids can get the apple slices and the oranges as their side options when ordering a Happy Meal at McDonald’s. The other option is Go-Gurt if you want to pair that with either the Cuties or apple slices.
Then we pick the 1% milk for a beverage, though you can pick apple juice and 1% chocolate milk. In fact, I order the Happy Meal for myself too, with the same sides, so I can set an example for my kids. As a bonus, the fun Happy Meal toys keep them happy and entertain while we stand in the return lines at the store.
If you grab food-to-go at this month, you have control over the menu. So pick foods that are lower calories and fat. Then, at home, use ingredients that have better nutritional value when cooking at home.
Enter below to win a $25 Arch Gift Card to help you eat healthy at McDonald’s this season. (Full giveaway rules can be found here, in the form, and at the bottom of this page). And may you have a happy and healthy holiday!

I received compensation from McDonald’s in exchange for my time in writing this review. Although this is a sponsored post, the words, opinions and ideas are my own!