Staying on track with nutrition during the holidays

For many people, the holidays are filled with family, food — and temptation. But if you’re trying to stick to a nutrition plan or make a long-term lifestyle change, experts say you don’t have to choose between enjoying the season and staying on track.

Benjamin Williams, an online nutritionist and personal trainer and the founder of The Beginners Club, said the holidays don’t have to be all or nothing. You can enjoy your favorite foods without completely falling off your plan — it just requires mindfulness.

Williams said the key is focusing on balance instead of restriction. By eating healthy foods about 80% of the time, he said, you can allow yourself to indulge in less-healthy options for the remaining 20%.

“What if you’ve had a small breakfast, for example, go and enjoy those mince pies,” Williams said. “Go and enjoy the chocolate log or the Christmas pudding because you’ve kind of saved those calories from earlier in the day and you can have them later on. So it’s just kind of thinking, where can I kind of save some calories and where can I go and enjoy myself?”

He also recommends prioritizing protein and limiting higher-fat foods.

“We really want to get a large quantity of protein. So leaner meats. So turkey is a traditional one, chicken,” Williams said. “We just want to make sure we’re getting larger quantities of the good stuff, leaner protein, vegetables, which are all tasting really good around the holiday time and just limiting, say, the not so good stuff.”

Williams added that being mindful of alcohol and dessert intake can make a big difference. He suggests alternating alcoholic drinks with water and deciding ahead of time which desserts you really want, so portions stay manageable.

“I’ve learned the hard way, you know, we can be getting over 200 calories in one pint of beer,” Williams said. “And so, you know, if you have three of those at 600 calories and that might be killing your deficit coming into the holiday kind of season. So quantity control and just making smart choices when it comes to beverages.”

Another tip: prioritize conversation over constant snacking. Instead of mindlessly eating, focus on connecting with people you may not see often to stay occupied.

The takeaway, Williams said, is to enjoy the celebrations — and not let one indulgent day turn into a season of guilt. He also stressed that movement still matters, recommending a walk with family or even some solo time outside after a meal.