Holiday Baking Survival Tips

If you don’t want to walk around this holiday season like Santa, wearing stretch pants and supporting a large belly you need to be mindful of your holiday baking. Here are a few tips to enjoy the season of cookies, pies and more without going overboard.

Keep it Simple
Decide on one thing that you want to bake so you don’t have a lot of choices to tempt you. You can also choose to order out and have someone else do the baking so you are not tempted with taste testing beyond what you should.

Find healthy substitutes
There are so many yummy recipes out there to help lower fat or sugar in recipes. Focus on baked goods that offer healthy ingredients like nuts or coconut vs butter and flour. Try using key words like Paleo or Whole30 for new recipes.

Bake only what you need
If you are baking cookies, only bake what you need from the batch and freeze leftover dough in round balls. That way you can always make more later for just the amount you need.

Get Rid of It
If you have baked goods sitting around longer than 2 days share it with others or just throw it away. Save your splurges for things you really enjoy, not the 3 day old cookie that you just want to get rid of.

Overall it is important to find a balance of enjoying holiday traditions yet honoring your fitness goals. Enjoy what you want most, forget about the rest and focus on other activities of the season not related to food.

Feel Unstuffed during the Holidays

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we all know what that means; time to get out the stretchy pants. Many people pack on at least a pound (some gain more) during the holidays -- and most have a hard time taking it back off. But with a few tips you can survive Thanksgiving dinner and still enjoy a guilt-free Thanksgiving feast.

Get Active

Since you know you will probably be eating more than normal over a few days take the time to put in some workout time adding 5-10 minutes to your regular workout. Plan to attend a local run/walk event or create your own in the neighborhood. After dinner resist the urge to nap and gather the family for a walk or laps at the local mall.

Choose Wisely

Not all the food served on Thanksgiving will be worth the calories. Chose one or 2 favorites you wouldn’t normally eat and fill up the rest with lean turkey or vegetables. Take a small portion and only go back for seconds after waiting 15-20 minutes to feel you really want it. If you are in charge of the menu plan some healthier choices or bring a great healthy dish to a dinner you are invited to (Roasted root vegetables are easy and delicious).

Focus on Being Thankful

Thanksgiving foods are nice but gathering together as family and friends is where the focus should be. Start new traditions of sharing thoughts of gratitude or work together on a service project to kick start the winter holidays.

Overall it is important to honor the balance of enjoying traditions yet honoring your fitness goals. Having a plan and sticking to it will help you to not end up feeling just as stuffed as the turkey.

Fitness Coach Sarah Ward is a full time mom to two very active boys. She is passionate about helping others find what they need in their lives to achieve the best life they can with clean eating and daily movement. You can follow her on Facebook or Instagram @LifestyleForward or connect with her at sarah@lifestyleforward.com.