It’s been a hot minute since I’ve participated in Jenn’s “What I Ate Wednesday” (speaking of did you see her latest recipe?!? YUMMO!!) – I never tire of looking at other people’s food pics. Is that just me?? I don’t think so. People love food. Speaking of which, I know there’s a TON of food anxiety associated with the holiday season and I thought I’d share my two cents.
Stop Stressing.
Here’s the thing….Christmas comes once a year. I’m guessing most of my readers are fairly healthy people. You work out, you eat whole, nutritious foods the majority of the time. I think that the anxiety surrounding holiday foods is unnecessary if you keep in mind that this is a temporary season. Do you make Christmas cookies the other 11 months of the year? Do you eat poorly on a regular basis? I’d say the answer is NO (at least for me it is). My normal approach is this –>I aim to eat a salad a day, lean proteins, little dairy (it hurts my belly) and I drink at least 100 ounces of water a day. I make a point to move regularly. I don’t track calories and I don’t have food rules. I know that when I eat trashy foods, my body doesn’t function as well. Health and energy take priority over weight loss or calorie counting.
During this season of holiday parties and cookie exchanges, I think the biggest tip I’d give is stop putting so much thought into it. I know that for me personally, if I say some food group is off limits …then that’s the only thing I can think about. It’s all I want. Moderation works best. Always will. If you want a sugar cookie shaped in the form of a Christmas tree – go for it. Just pay attention to how it makes you feel. I can eat a few cookies. A whole plate of cookies probably isn’t the best.
Anywho….here’s a little glimpse of what I’ve been eating lately. Lots of greens, chicken, coffee and froyo. 
^^Henry and Clara ALWAYS pick gummy bears as their topping. I can’t imagine that mixing well with froyo but to each their own.^^
^^I recently ordered two dozen Spring Sprinkle Healthy Bites. They taste like a sugar cookie but are WAY healthier.^^
^^These lasted all of two days. Reminded me of summer.^^
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^^I got all sorts of Martha Stewart and made my own cinnamon almond butter. Meaning I shook a crap-ton of cinnamon into a jar of almond butter and stirred it up.^^
^^Pre-dressing. I’ve been using Ken’s Balsamic Vinaigrette lately.^^
^^Best pumpkin yogurt. Hands down.^^
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QUESTION: What are your thoughts on HOLIDAY EATING??
splendid…lindsay
Balance in life! :)
Balance & Moderation! You can enjoy it all… portion sizes :)
As always I love looking at your blog so as I sit here eating trail mix and carrots for dinner I can’t help but say hey theres other busy women out there too who do in fact eat healthy majority of the time like me, and trail mix is a good dinner! =)
mmm i spy fish too! love it and LOVE you
A-freakin-men! Love your perspective and thoughts on the holiday season. And your eats! They all look delicious!
1. I completely agree with you on the holiday eating front. If I restrict myself when everyone else is indulging, I’m just going to go nuts and get cranky. I’d rather indulge in moderation, balance it with the healthy stuff I like, and work it off later. :)
2. WHYYYYY can’t you own a froyo place in VA? I’ve mean meaning to say that for a while now. ;)
I 100% agree with you…It happens once a year…ENJOY IT. I usually stuff myself like silly and feel like poop the next day, but I don’t care, because it is fun, I’m with family, and the food is way too good to stress about it. Life is too short to not eat, drink, and be merry this time of year. We put too much pressure on ourselves enough as it is, when really this time of year should be about happiness, sharing, loving, and having fun. Bring on the wine and sugar…HAHA!
TOTALLY agree, stop stressing, listen to how foods make your body feel. I crave healthy now, I truly do. Just this morning on my drive to LAX to head home from a work trip, I ate half a container of raspberries and was so incredibly happy LOL. And when I get home? all.the.kabocha ;-)
Love your holiday eating thoughts – I couldn’t agree more. I wrote a similar post recently myself! And gummy bears in froyo? I love gummies – so I put them in m froyo on the side and eat them quick before they get too hard, or suck on them when they’re frozen. ;) But my FAVE toppings are anything chocolate – Oreo pieces, PB Reese’s chunks, mixed with a little squirt of hot fudge. I’m all about the chocoalte-y type flavors over Mikey’s choice – fruit all the way! Oh – and everything looks good, but I am so sick of salads with just spinach greens and then fresh veggies on top. I need to revamp my lunches!
Hahaha, I always add a crap load of cinnamon to my plain nut butters!
Excellent perspective. Too many holiday seasons have been wasted with food-anxiety, and you know what? I never lost any weight for all that anxiety and neuroses. So I said screw it. Now I keep eating well during the holidays, and add some homemade goodies when I want them, and use my time trying to coral the hotties under the mistletoe.
Dude, gummy bears get all hard in frozen yogurt. I’ve tried it!