My Secret to Healthy Holiday Eating

Silver bells, mounds of white snow, community goodwill and cheer… There’s so much to love about the holiday season! But as fun as the holidays are, they absolutely can take a toll on our wintertime nutrition.

If you’ve been a part of my community for very long, you’ll know I teach all about healthy habits from three different angles: eating, moving, and recharging. While it can be tough to get enough movement and enough me-time this time of year, I think we can all agree that our holiday eating choices are usually what get us into the most trouble this time of year. For that reason, I wanted to spend a little sharing about my #1 healthy eating tip for ALL seasons—yes, including the season of eating.

So, how do I set myself up for the chance to make a good nutrition decision no matter what life throws at me? Simple: I pack my own food.

Now, before you roll your eyes and tell me that’s impractical, let me explain! I’m not suggesting you bring a full 7-course dinner everywhere you go. The tip I’m about to explain is focused more around providing yourself with supplementary items—snacks, small meals, staple food items, and water (of course). The idea here isn’t that you never eat food that’s been provided by someone else; we’re just creating space for options in our life. That way, we never have to feel like we’ve been pigeonholed into making a decision we didn’t really want to make.

That said, please allow me to introduce my #1 nutrition secret: The MRFK. 

My MRFK (which stands for “Mobile Readiness Food Kit”) is a great little hack I picked up from the wonderful folks at Venice Nutrition. Everyone’s MRFK should look a little different based on personal preferences, but here’s what goes into mine most of the time:

• A full bottle of water

• A shaker bottle

• Powdered protein shake mix

• 2-3 of my favorite protein bars

The items above are my must-haves. Depending on my plans for the day, I’ll usually also include some whole foods. Some of my favorites are:

• Boiled eggs

• Freeze-dried fruit

• Hardy fruits (think apples or sliced strawberries)

• Raw nuts like cashews or almonds

Nothing about my MRFK is particularly specialized or fancy. I usually use a regular old cooler bag and the typical reusable plastic containers most of us have in our homes. But having this simple, thought-out food pack with me ensures that I never end up in a situation where my blood sugar is tanking or where I feel like I have no option but to grab a drive-through hamburger.

How does this relate to the holidays?

Great question! MRFKs come in super handy during the holidays because this time of year, you can’t typically control what foods you might be served at an event. If you wanted to be *extra* conscientious, you could literally bring a whole healthy meal in your MRFK to eat as an alternative to whatever is being served to whatever snacks and sweets are being served wherever you are . . .

. . . But let’s be honest. Who wants to do that??

So instead, here’s what I recommend: Go ahead and attend the parties. Enjoy your favorite treats. Don’t deprive yourself of the foods you LOVE.

But bring your MRFK, too. Make sure you have lean protein and healthy fats on hand. That way, nabbing a sugar cookie at your child’s Christmas program doesn’t have to mean sending your blood sugar into an upward (and then downward) spiral—you can simply have some water and some lean protein to help balance things out a bit.

One last thing: If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 1,000 times, but I’ll say it again… Above all else, ditch the guilt! Remember that you’re human, that the number on the scale isn’t nearly as important as how you feel, and that you can always do better tomorrow.

I hope this tip helps you navigate your holiday nutrition with a little more ease than in years past. If you have any questions, I’d love for you to leave me a note in the comments. Or, feel free to reach out to me directly at dawn@dawnmcgee.guru! 

Wishing you a holiday season full of happy memories and healthy choices. Cheers!

P.S. Looking for some extra support to get you through the holidays? Check out my free Facebook Group, Never Diet Again!