Mindful Eating During the Holidays: Tips from a Dietitian

October 28, 2024

Should we officially unveil the curtains for the holiday season? Word on the streets is that holiday preparations have begun in full swing. And if you don’t know this, you’ll hear it from us today—we love a wonderful holiday season at Maya Feller Nutrition.

Notwithstanding, we have a thing or two to share that may help you plan to eat mindfully during these special moments ahead.

Keep reading for tips on enjoying food with more ease during this holiday season instead of dreading overeating, even if you are managing a chronic condition.

Celebration vs Everyday Food

Personally, I love celebration meals and the fun comfort foods that come with them. I encourage my patients to embrace the holidays and fully enjoy the time “breaking bread” with family and good friends. What makes these recipes special is the fact that you get to enjoy them on these special days or occasionally. They aren’t your daily norm or part of your eating pattern.

If the season offers the opportunity to dive into your aunt’s Jerk Chicken with Peas and Rice, Grandad’s Macaroni and Cheese, or your chosen family’s homemade cranberry sauce–and your body can tolerate it–I say go ahead. Go in with a plan. Do your best to continue to eat at regular intervals and not skip meals leading up to a special gathering. You might choose whether you want to munch on all the side snacks and hors d’oeuvres or choose to wait until the multi-course meal is served. What’s your plan for alcohol consumption, if you partake? Will you be packing up leftovers?

Cakes/ Sugar And Navigating The Dessert Table

The sugar rush can be especially irresistible during these holiday seasons. But in the spirit of mindful eating, vary your intake of sweet and include naturally occurring sugars on the dessert table. For example, round out the cakes and cookies with fresh fruits and chocolates. When you do have added sugars, how can you be intentional about your intake of these? it’s not about omission but rather being intentional about how it shows up on your plate. Once you understand this, ask your questions, and make your plan, choosing to savor every bite of your sweet treat without distractions makes the moment even sweeter. If you love apples, here’s a cinnamon glazed option you might consider adding to the dessert table. It uses coconut cream (as a non-dairy fat) and apples (a source of fiber); the combination supports everything from digestion to satiety to blood sugar levels.

Are you ready for a new relationship with food?

We have the right self-paced masterclass for you!

When you take this masterclass, you will explore why we eat and take steps to transform how you relate to snacking and mealtimes. You will be well on your way to gathering practical information that will support your confidence as you acquire tools to listen to your body and make informed decisions that help you feel well.

The self-paced masterclass includes five modules.

Masterclass overview:

Hunger and fullness cues: identify and trust
Why we eat and how it impacts thoughts about self-image and body image
Food as a coping mechanism
Types of eating
Relationship with food and its impact on different areas of functioning

The Anti-Diet Method: How To Repair Your Relationship with Food Self-Paced Masterclass

What does a mindful portion of leftovers look like? What are the food pairings?

Are you packing leftovers? If so, approach eating your leftovers like how you mindfully eat on any other day. If you usually eat one or two servings of a meal, maintain it when serving yourself with your leftovers. You are also at liberty to repurpose your leftovers. Get creative by reinventing your leftovers into other colorful meals. Throw the protein and veggies into a soup base and you have a hearty soup. For example, if your leftovers include any of these high protein foods to reuse or repurpose, you are already boosting your protein intake! Smash the potatoes and experiment with a different herb and spice profile. The salad options with leftovers can be endless. Repurposing helps to savor leftovers mindfully, enhance your daily meals, and maintain the eating pattern that makes you feel well. As you enter this festive season, remember perfection is not the goal. Give yourself grace and allow space and time for life to happen. Enjoy your meals, stay well hydrated, soak up the love from friends and family, and find time to engage in intentional, joyful movement. Stay well and enjoy the festivities, one mindful bite at a time!

Maya Feller

Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN is the founder and lead dietitian at Maya Feller Nutrition. In her practice, her team provides medical nutrition therapy and nutrition coaching for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mood disorders, developmental disabilities, disordered eating, and more. Maya believes in providing inclusive nutrition education from an anti-bias patient-centered, culturally humble approach to help people make informed food choices. Maya shares her approachable, food-based solutions with millions of people through regular speaking engagements, writing, her social platforms, and as a national nutrition expert on Good Morning America, is a Healthline Medical Advisor, and on the advisory board for SHAPE and Parents, as well as appearing on TODAY Show, Tamron Hall, and in The New York Times, mindbodygreen, Well+Good, Food Network, Martha Stewart, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Cooking Light, Eating Well, Prevention, Glamour, SELF, and more. She is the author of The Southern Comfort Food Diabetes Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes for a Healthy Life and Eating from Our Roots: 80+ Healthy Home-Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World (goop Press, January 24, 2023).