As holiday tables start filling up with familiar favorites, many families are thinking ahead to how they can enjoy the season without feeling weighed down afterward. It’s a time of year when good food is everywhere and it can take only a few minutes of celebrating to forget your healthy eating habits. The trick isn’t to avoid the foods you love, but to come into the holidays with a plan that helps you enjoy the meal, while keeping your body and weight goals top of mind.

Registered dietitian Sara Umphfleet with OSF HealthCare encourages people to start making those decisions early in the day. She notes that the first meal of a holiday morning plays a bigger role than most folks realize. A simple breakfast with protein and carbohydrates can help prevent hunger that leads to overeating later. Options like eggs or whole-grain toast with peanut butter offer enough balance to keep energy steady while still leaving room for the main event. If the ‘big meal’ isn’t until that afternoon or evening, Umphfleet says that a small snack of yogurt, nuts, and fruit can help people avoid arriving at the table overly hungry.

Umphfleet also encourages a thoughtful approach to filling your plate. In a season full of casseroles, desserts, and traditional dishes, it can be tempting to load up on items that aren’t genuine favorites simply because they’re available. She suggests taking a moment to look over everything before serving and focusing on the foods that truly bring enjoyment. Umphfleet also reminds people that moderation extends beyond the food itself, since alcohol tends to sneak into celebrations as well. Keeping intake modest and alternating with water can help avoid dehydration and other holiday-related discomforts.

Once the last plates are cleared, the focus turns to the leftovers that can sometimes linger too long in the refrigerator. Umphfleet notes that while many families rely on the “smell test,” it’s safer to stick to guidelines that limit leftovers to three or four days. With foodborne illnesses affecting millions of Americans each year, a little extra care can make sure the days after Thanksgiving are just as enjoyable as the holiday itself.

To learn more about healthy eating habits this holiday season, visit www.osfhealthcare.org.