{"id":12601,"date":"2023-11-29T14:11:46","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T19:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/?p=12601"},"modified":"2023-11-29T14:50:03","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T19:50:03","slug":"12601","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/2023\/11\/29\/12601\/","title":{"rendered":"Holiday Healthy!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I admit it. I’m thankful Thanksgiving is over! The meal was great. And of course we love the leftovers, but the amount of carbs I consumed is way more than I like. No wonder I’ve been feeling sluggish, a little blah. Time to perk myself up and get into the holiday spirit!<\/p>\n

I’ve got gift planning to do…cookies<\/a> to bake…chocolate sauce<\/a> to make…wrapping and oh so much more. What I don’t have time for, is to feel sluggish.<\/p>\n

We’re entering that time of year where, normally, I would be plotting ways to navigate holiday parties and an abundance of sweets without gaining weight. This year is no different for me to adopt a “no gain, just try to maintain” attitude. I mean, you only get your favorite gingerbread cookies once a year! However, I don’t give up control because my happiness and energy are tied to my good health. The healthier I eat, the better I feel.<\/p>\n

Sounds so simple and yet we all know it’s not. I’ve developed a plan that is easy for me to stick to and if I go off the rails, I can quickly get back on.<\/p>\n

The one thing I feel like I have under control is what’s for dinner. I have found that if I don\u2019t plan out our meals, then we tend to eat really<\/em> poorly. Take out and delivery tend to be much higher in carbs, sodium and calories<\/a> which makes me more sluggish, not energized. Frankly, I don\u2019t want to spend money on takeout when I have gifts to buy! Plus, if I\u2019ve planned out a whole week of meals, then I don\u2019t have to decide daily what to eat. It\u2019s already checked off on my list.\"\"<\/p>\n

Give yourself the gift of maintaining good health and energy during the holidays. Thank yourself!<\/p>\n

9 Tips for a Stick-To-It-Plan<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Plan<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/span> It sounds obvious, but if you haven\u2019t planned your meals in advance then you will spend extra time and money running to the store. Five minutes to plan and edit my DinnerTime Meal Plan<\/a> means I have freed up countless hours, better spent on my other to-do items on my list.<\/li>\n
  2. Shop with a grocery list<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/span> Using my DinnerTime Grocery List<\/a> is the greatest gift of time and money to myself. I don\u2019t wander through the store picking up impulse items I don\u2019t need. I get everything I need in one trip. Save money, save time…time is money, you get the picture.<\/li>\n
  3. Make more servings<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/span> I cook every other night and re-heat the following night. I love to make hearty soups and stews or grill a big steak with enough servings to know I can enjoy it again another night. This allows me to plan my evenings to wrap gifts, bake cookies or even just collapse!\"\" Increase the number of servings for your recipes and the correct amount of ingredients will be on your DinnerTime Grocery List<\/a>. Bonus, cleanup is easier every other night!<\/li>\n
  4. Choose easy recipes<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/span> Slow cooker<\/a>, stir-fry<\/a> and sheet pan<\/a> are my go-to’s. Search in your DinnerTime Recipe Box<\/a> for quick and easy recipes that appeal to you.<\/li>\n
  5. Load up on salad materials<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/span> Choose salad<\/a> as a side for most dinners. I prep our salads in the beginning of the week, and then toss with the dressing right before we sit down to dinner. Dark leafy greens, bright peppers and crunchy cucumbers keep my body loaded with healthy vitamins and minerals.<\/a> Sometimes I\u2019ll add leftover protein like, shrimp or steak for a yummy all-in-one dinner salad.\"\"<\/li>\n
  6. Stock up on healthy snacks<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/span> I’m a big believer in “if I put it out, they will come.” A big bowl of fruit, snack bags of nuts and a tray of cut veggies, ready to put on the counter, keep us all from indulging in less healthy snacks. Plus, they give me natural energy, and I certainly need all the energy I can get!<\/li>\n
  7. Eat together.<\/strong><\/span> Sure, everyone is busy, but just eating dinner together keeps us all grounded and feeling connected. This is helpful for every age and studies show the more often we share dinner together, the less likely teens will engage in risky behaviors<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  8. Drink water<\/strong><\/span>. Feel a little tired or hungry? Drink a tall glass of water. Many of us don’t realize how easy it is to become dehydrated during the colder months. Water will fill you up and keep you feeling energetic. Bonus, your skin will look fresher!<\/li>\n
  9. Take a walk. <\/strong><\/span>Take some time to clear your head when you feel overwhelmed by all your holiday responsibilities. Your family will feel your stress and react in not so great ways, so it’s important to set the tone of the home. Sometimes I take a quick walk<\/a> around the block, other times I corral the whole family to join me. Exercise is great, but a quick walk is about getting oxygen to my brain. Even 10 minutes can help me reset with more energy and a smile on my face.\u00a0\"\"<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Recipes to support a healthy holiday season!<\/h3>\n

    \u00a0Search for more\u00a0quick and easy recipes\u00a0 in your\u00a0DinnerTime Recipe Box<\/a>.<\/h5>\n
    \n
    \n
    Burger Soup<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
    \n
    Black and Bleu Grilled-Steak Salad<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
    \n
    Classic Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    \n
    \n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Fill up with this hearty and healthy family friendly soup.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Enjoy this flavorful and nutritious meal.<\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n

    \n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 An easy and tasty meal.<\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n

    <\/div>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I admit it. I’m thankful Thanksgiving is over! The meal was great. And of course we love the leftovers, but the amount of carbs I consumed is way more than I like. No wonder I’ve been feeling sluggish, a little… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":12606,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12601"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12601"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12615,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12601\/revisions\/12615"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12606"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}