Healthy Christmas tips for kids
Dreading the holiday season with all the christmas treats and endless celebrations? These 10 healthy christmas tips will help you navigate the festive season without feeling like the grinch.
Maintaining healthy habits over the Christmas period can be tough with kids. There is plenty of temptation during the holiday season from candy canes and chocolate Christmas trees gifted from school friends and an overwhelming number of parties and concerts.
During this time, healthy eating tends to go out the window and our kids are fuelled on sugar, artificial flavours and colours and soft drinks. And when you do say 'no' you can feel like you're depriving your child of all the Christmas fun. It's also easy to get yourself so stressed about what your kids are eating and it can be totally consuming.
But it's not all doom and gloom. You can have healthy kids and allow them to take part in all the Christmas festivities without feeling like the Grinch.
Here are my top tips for helping your kids have a healthy Christmas this year.
Healthy Christmas tips for kids
1. start with a balanced whole food breakfast
The old saying "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" is applicable during the holiday season. A balanced whole food breakfast will provide your child with the energy they can really use this time of year as well as help regulate their blood sugar levels and keep them feeling fuller for longer.
It's also a great way to start their day with lots of nutrients before they reach for the Christmas treats. Eggs with veggies are my favourite, but you could also have overnight oats with fresh fruit, nuts and seeds or leftovers from the night before. Even a veggie-packed smoothie can provide them with a good start.
2. Serve healthy food at mealtime
While you may not be able to control the sugar-laden Christmas treats that circulate the playground, you can control what's on your child's plate for most of their main meals.
Ensure you focus on making meals that consist of healthy foods like quality protein, plenty of veggies, a small serve of whole grains and fat. Simple "meat and three veg" meals are ideal and can take the pressure off preparing fancy dinners during the holiday season. Continuing to make their lunchbox is also a great way to keep healthy eating habits on track.
If you do normally serve dessert, consider eliminating it altogether and explain to your children you want to limit the treats at home just around Christmas time. Alternatively, opt for lower sugar fresh fruits like berries or natural Greek yoghurt with nuts and seeds.
These zucchini fritters can be a great breakfast or healthy snack for over the holiday season.
3. Stick with water
Soft drinks, cordial, juices and milkshakes often make their way into Christmas parties. And while it might be considered a harmless Christmas treat, they are packed with sugar and additives, your children can live without even during the holiday season.
Additionally, drinking water will not only help keep your child hydrated, but it will also help support their liver and digestive function. Your child's liver will be working overtime and many children are prone to constipation with the reduction in healthy food and the increase of Christmas treats. So where possible stick with water - this is one of my hard and fast rules!
4. Make festive healthy snacks
If you do have a Christmas party to attend or if you’re hosting your own festive gathering, make some healthy Christmas snacks and treats to share using wholefoods.
Get your kids involved too so they can have some pride in making them and are more likely to eat these rather than head straight for grandmas Gingerbread Lollie coated house!
5. Avoid gifting or keeping junk food at home
Clean up your home environment and avoid filling the pantry with junk food during the holiday season (and continue this habit well into the new year!). It's too tempting for both little kids and us big kids to have a box of chocolates or bag of crisps in the house.
It's also worth reconsidering gifting Christmas treats, even to your foodie friends. Most of us want to maintain our healthy eating habits throughout the festive season and deal with the same struggles you do of limiting junk food.
6. Teach your kids to listen to their bodies
To help your children make healthy food choices, we need to teach them to listen to their bodies and how certain foods make them feel.
Before going to a party, whether it's for a birthday or Christmas, we have a conversation about what foods make our son feel good and others that make him feel grumpy or give him an upset tummy. We help him set his own limits on the amount of party food he eats. Sometimes he sticks with it and other times he doesn't but we set the intention and always debrief afterwards.
We also make sure he is well-fed with nourishing healthy food beforehand.
Keep your child active and entertained with non-food focused activities
7. Keep active
While children are typically tired this time of year and can't wait to spend more time watching movies or playing video games, it's really important to make a conscious effort to keep them active. Especially when most kids are taking a break from their school or team sports.
Start your Christmas day with a walk, play at the park or a game of basketball.
8. Incorporate downtime
Consistent bedtime routines are a struggle over the holiday period so incorporating downtime into your child's day becomes more necessary. Add a few lazy mornings in that feature books in bed and PJ's until lunchtime.
For those who don't like to sleep in, swap devices and trampoline playdates with quiet, calming activities like colouring in, lego and puzzles. It’s also a great time to start introducing meditation if you don’t use it already.
9. Consider nutrient support
At the end of a school year often kids are feeling a little run down and cranky. They're also prone to getting sick with a niggling cold at the worst time of year. On top of this, we're making poorer food choices which leads to a reduction in healthy whole foods and an increase in sugary, processed foods.
Children's immune system, digestive system and liver can all do with some extra support. This may be as simple as a multivitamin or probiotics or a more involved nutrient support plan.
If you need assistance, feel free to send me an email.
10. Plan Christmas celebrations that aren't focused on food
The food of Christmas parties typically takes centre stage and before you know it your day is just about consistent eating and drinking. Why not break away from this and start a new tradition with the whole family that puts the emphasis on an activity rather than just a social gathering.
Think a family soccer match at a local park, a morning down on the beach or playing mini-golf. Introduce a scavenger hunt, twilight outdoor movies or a few friendly games.
As a final note, it's important to remember your kids can indulge in some Christmas treats and still remain healthy. Please don't spend your holiday season worrying about what they eat and allowing it to drain your own Christmas spirit. Trust me, I have been there and it's not a great way to spend the holidays!
Make healthy eating fun for the whole family!
Healthy Little Eaters Game designed to educate your child about the benefits of fruit and vegetables.
Through matching games, memory games, quizzes and making a fun puzzle, children will learn the link between fresh wholefoods and body parts. Each fruit or vegetable correlates with a body part.
Get your Health Little Eaters Game here.