9 tips for enjoying your holiday season with healthy eating

Food plays a major role in the festive period. It helps bring people together, maintains long-held traditions, and is often a key part of celebrating good times.

It can be easy for us to overindulge at this time of year, however. One previous study found that nearly half (45%) of people who reported following a healthy diet prior did not keep it up during the holiday season.¹

Making less healthy food choices can make it harder to keep our glucose (blood sugar) steady. And if our glucose levels are regularly spiking, it can have an adverse effect on our hunger, energy levels, mood, and sleep.²

But you can have your cake (or pumpkin pie) and eat it, too. Here, we provide nine tips to help you eat healthily and keep your glucose levels steady while enjoying the holiday season.

1. Use Lingo’s festive balanced plate formula

Lingo has developed a balanced holiday plate method for the winter season to help support glucose balance while still enjoying your favorite festive foods.

This simple formula can help lessen the impact of carbs on your glucose levels.^3,4

Here’s how to do it:

• Fill ½ of your plate with non-starchy vegetables, such as a leafy green salad, Brussels sprouts, carrots, collard greens, or green beans.

• Fill ¼ of your plate with high-quality protein, such as turkey, lechón, brisket, prime rib, or tofu.

• Fill ¼ of your plate with carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, latkes, kugel, mac and cheese, or stuffing.

So, if you know your brother is bringing his special mac and cheese to your family meal, you can use this festive formula to make sure there’s room for it while still loading up on vegetables and protein to help keep your glucose steady.

Note: balanced plates look different for everyone. The amount of carbs that works for you depends on your personal carb tolerance response, so you may need to experiment a little to see how different meals and foods impact your glucose.

Lingo is a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) designed to help you see the effects of different foods and build healthy habits supporting your health goals.

2. Start with greens

Kicking off a meal by eating some non-starchy vegetables like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or cauliflower can help blunt a glucose spike.^5,6 They’re full of fiber, which can help slow digestion and lead to slower rises in glucose.⁷

The fiber in vegetables can make you feel more satiated, too. This may help you avoid overeating so you can leave your dinner table not overly full.⁸

Top tip: If you’re having mashed potatoes, add more fiber by accompanying it with some other vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli, or a salad.

3. Prioritize protein

Outside of big meals, it can be easy to sideline sources of protein in favor of all the delicious carby and sugary foods that are on hand. But doing this can lead to glucose spikes and crashes that could leave you fatigued, in a low mood, and craving more simple carbs.^4,9,10

Like your non-starchy greens, eating protein such as roast turkey or chicken ahead of the potato or stuffing on your plate can slow your digestion and prevent your glucose from spiking while also keeping you full.^5,6,11

4. Fuel with healthy fats

Incorporating sources of healthy fats into your meals can slow how quickly you digest carbs, and they are an important source of energy that can help to keep you full.^12,13

While fats are more calorie-dense than carbs and protein, they can also help you absorb important vitamins, like A, D, E, and K.¹⁴

A few examples of good sources of healthy fats include:

• Olives

• Olive oil

• Avocado

• Nuts

• Seeds

• Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines

You could try adding these to salads or eating them as a nourishing snack instead of something that’s more carb-heavy.

5. Choose savory, not sweet

Sugary foods are a quick and easy way to spike your glucose.¹⁵ When you have the option, choosing savory over sweet is a simple way to help keep your glucose more stable.

Breakfast is a great place to start, and we recommend aiming for 25-30 grams (g) of protein at breakfast to help fill you up and support you making better meal choices throughout the day.^3,16 For a savory high-protein option, try sausage and eggs or a tofu breakfast burrito.

If you do indulge in sweet, sugary foods, pair them with fiber and protein — either alongside or after — to help reduce their impact on your glucose.⁴

Top tip: Watch out for hidden sources of added sugar. Many packaged foods and drinks, such as condiments, breakfast cereals, and store-bought pasta sauces, can contain surprisingly high amounts of added sugars.

Even seemingly healthy options such as honey-glazed carrots or ham can be sources of hidden sugars.

To satisfy your sweet tooth in a more glucose-friendly way, check the nutrition labels for store-bought treats and look for no-sugar-added varieties. You can also make your own versions at home by using non-nutritive sweeteners like stevia or sucralose, or natural flavors like cinnamon or a splash of fruit juice for sweetness.

Check out the Recipes section below for two glucose-friendly versions of traditional holiday favorites.

6. Make simple swaps

Keeping your glucose steady doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul of your holiday plate. Sometimes a simple swap in ingredients can dramatically reduce the impact of a meal on your glucose.

Here are a couple of swaps to consider:

• When recipes call for plain flour, try using whole-wheat or almond flour instead. Note: you may need to adjust the amount you use if you make this swap.

• Swap half of a potato dish (such as mashed or roasted potatoes) for cauliflower. This will cut down the total amount of carbs you eat while increasing your fiber intake.

• Snack on mixed nuts, olives, string cheese, or vegetables and dip rather than chips and pretzels. Because they contain mainly protein and fat, these swaps should have minimal impact on your glucose.

Using Lingo will also provide extra insight into the effects that different foods and drinks have on your glucose. With this information, you’ll be able to work out which meals and approaches work best for you.

7. Avoid skipping meals

You may be tempted to skip a meal to save room for a big holiday lunch or dinner, but doing so can leave you more prone to overeating later.¹⁷ You may also be more easily tempted to consume more “naked carbs” (carbs by themselves, like chips or dinner rolls), which could lead to a glucose spike.⁴

In fact, research shows that skipping a meal — like breakfast — can lead to a sharper glucose spike at your next meal, even if your total calorie intake stays the same.¹⁸

To help stabilize your energy and glucose response throughout the day, start with a protein-packed breakfast (aim for at least 25-30 g protein). This can help you feel fuller for longer,^11,16 and may make it easier to make healthier meal choices later on.

8. Drink mindfully

Don’t forget to make room for water and other fluids. Keeping well-hydrated is important for both your body and brain.^19,20

When you’re picking something to drink, also be aware of the effects that different drinks can have on your glucose levels. Fruit juices and soft drinks in particular could cause your glucose to rise rapidly. Instead, why not go for water (including infused water), teas, or zero-sugar sodas.

If you’re going to have something alcoholic, look for a low-sugar option, such as pure liquor, dry wines, light beer, or hard seltzers. And avoid drinking on an empty stomach, as this may accelerate the feeling of alcohol in your system.²¹

Learn more about low-sugar drinks.

9. Get moving

Before or after you’ve eaten, try going for a 20-minute walk. This could help aid digestion and blunt a glucose spike.²²

It’s also a good idea to make time for some strength training over the holiday period. Resistance training, even just 20 minutes of bodyweight exercises (think: lunges or push-ups), can help improve glucose management and insulin sensitivity.²³

Recipes

If you’re interested in some specific ideas for things to eat and drink, here are a couple of recipes for festive favorites that are less likely to spike your glucose.

Non-alcoholic mulled wine

This recipe makes five servings and contains around 13 g of carbohydrates per serving (which includes about 10 g of sugar).

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of alcohol-removed wine (or 2 cups water and 2 cups pomegranate juice)

• 1 orange, sliced

• 2-3 cinnamon sticks

• 2-3 star anise pods

• 3 cloves

• Fresh cranberries (optional)

• Cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

Instructions:

• If cooking on a stove: combine all the ingredients in a large pot and simmer for 25 minutes.

• If cooking with a slow cooker: combine all the ingredients and set the cooker to low for 2 hours.

Holiday peppermint bark

This recipe makes 16 servings and contains around 17.9 g of carbohydrates and 0.9 g of fiber.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz sugar-free chocolate chips

• ¼ cup coconut oil

• 3 drops of peppermint extract (optional)

• 5 oz sugar-free candy canes or peppermint candies, chopped

Instructions:

1. Prep a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove from heat. Stir in the drops of peppermint extract if using.

4. Pour chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet.

5. Sprinkle chopped candy canes (or peppermint candy) on top of chocolate.

6. Allow to cool until set at room temperature, or in a fridge.

A final note from Lingo

It may seem like it’s not possible to enjoy your favourite holiday activities and traditions while eating healthily, but with a few adjustments, you may find it becomes much more doable.

We want you to enjoy the holiday season and have fun while also staying on track with your goals. And the tips we’ve introduced in this article are ones that you can take into the new year and beyond.

If you make a habit of building a balanced plate for your meals or finding time for a walk after meals, for instance, you may find it easier to manage your glucose and stick to your health goals going forward.

You could also take things further with Lingo, a CGM that will allow you to track how different foods, drinks, and activities affect your glucose levels. This insight can help you to make the best choices for you and your body all year-round.

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