Strategies to eat right during the holidays

Buttermilk Blue Cheese & Apple SaladEating well over the holidays isn’t easy. With parties, travel, delicious desserts and indulgent entrees, it’s not easy to stay balanced this time of year. This week we’re sharing some of our favorite strategies from the Meez Kitchen.

1) Add a salad or side vegetable to every meal

No matter what your entrée, serve a hearty salad or side vegetable to your meal. It’ll add great nutrition and help you feel full, so you’ll be less likely to sneak seconds on dessert.

2) Cook before a trip

If you’re heading out of town, avoid the temptation to order take out instead of cooking before you leave. Make a hands-free dinner that can cook itself while you’re packing or doing laundry.

3) Cook after a trip

After a long flight or drive, cooking can be the last thing on your mind. But if you’ve been eating indulgent meals while traveling, a home-cooked meal might be just what you need. Plan your return meals before you go and stock the fridge with prepped ingredients, or plan a meal you can cook from your freezer.

4) Mix up the traditional routine

Who says the holiday dinner has to be the same starchy recipes year after year? Add a twist (and nutrition) with roasted vegetables. This week we’re offering a roasted vegetable salad with an Asiago vinaigrette, Dijon roasted broccoli and Thai peanut carrots, all perfect for livening up the traditional table plus offering a boost of nutrition.  (See the full menu here.)

5) Breakfast, breakfast, breakfast

When you break out of your work-a-day routine, breakfast can fall by the wayside. But all those nutrition experts are right. Skipping breakfast just means you’ll load up on an indulgent lunch. So stick with your regular favorites or take advantage of a more relaxed schedule by cooking up something that you normally don’t have time for. Eggs? Steel-cut oatmeal? The choice is yours.

6) Add fun and games

Take the focus off food at holiday gatherings and add some activities. Whether your family loves card games, charades, going for a walk or putting on ice skates, start traditions that go beyond food.

7) Make holiday treats year round

There’s no reason to save your favorite holiday recipes for once or twice a year.  Instead, promise yourself you’ll make that favorite pie or casserole this summer. Knowing you can have it again will mean you don’t need to eat a year’s worth in one sitting.

8) Eat only what you love

If you’re a fan of eggnog, green bean casserole or Aunt Sue’s cheese log, by all means enjoy them. But if they’re dishes that you wouldn’t eat the rest of the year, give them a pass and enjoy the foods you really love.

9) Focus on what matters most

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the food, both good and bad at the holidays. This year, take time to focus on the magic of being with the people you love. It’s being together that makes the holidays special.

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