5 Top Tips to Keeping a Healthy Balance this Christmas

5 Tips for Keeping a Healthy Balance this Christmas

The One Handed Cooks Christmas eBook is our FREE gift to you with any eBook or Meal Plan purchase. Filled with loads of recipe inspiration to bring festive fun to meal and snack times as well as joy to your kitchen. Merry Christmas, we hope it’s a jolly one! OHC’s xx Offer ends midnight 25^th December 2020 (AEST).

We love Christmas.  It’s always a crazy busy time of year but catching up with friends and family and enjoying good food is one of the best parts.  After being so healthy with your kids throughout the year it can be very easy to let it all go and give in to all the Christmas treats.

It is important to remember that eating, enjoying and sharing party food with friends during the holiday season is part of normal eating, even for children. The key is balance and moderation.  We’ve put together 5 top tips we want to share with you to try and encourage a healthy balance this Christmas.

1. Be prepared.  Christmas shopping, visiting friends, impromptu gatherings all take time and can take much longer than expected.  Often a lot longer, especially if you have a baby or toddler with you!  Being prepared and having some fruit or healthy homemade snacks with you for the kids in their travelling lunchbox will help keep them (and you) happy and satisfied.

2. Healthy fast food.  If you are out and about and do need to purchase food try to avoid the fat and sugar laden options and choose healthier and tasty options such as cheese and avocado takeaway sandwiches, sushi rolls, a fruit smoothie made with yoghurt, a piece of fruit if you are near a green grocer or supermarket.

3. Stock up the freezer with healthy homemade meals. If you have been out all day socialising or Christmas shopping the last thing you may want to do is cook.  Avoid takeaways or unhealthy fast meals by having some healthy meals available in the fridge or freezer that you can have on the table for the kids in minutes.

4. Take a plate.  If you know you are going to a party where there is likely to be lots of fat and sugar laden food on offer volunteer to take a healthier option suitable for both the adults and kids to share. Here are a few of our favourite healthy party & Christmas recipes:

• Santa strawberry hats
• Lamb kofta sticks
• Zucchini and basil muffins
• Carrot and red lentil dip
• Apricot chicken balls
• Pizza rounds
• Banana, apple and cinnamon muffins
• Zucchini slice
• Rainbow fruit skewers

 5. Try not to stress.  If a meal here or there goes out the window don’t worry.  Just try to make sure the other meals throughout the day are your usual healthy options.

Enjoy!