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How to Enjoy a Holiday Dinner Without Guilt
Holiday dinners can often bring up feelings of fear or uncertainty for some people. This can be due to a variety of reasons, food related or not, but for some those feelings stem from feeling guilt about eating a holiday dinner. The holidays are about the feeling of connection and food often helps us feel connected to one another during the holiday.
So here are a few tips on how to navigate a holiday meal while feeling confident and powered, so that you are able to enjoy your meal without guilt:
- Prepare - If you are going to a restaurant or going to a friend’s house, if you are not in control of what is going to be served then the first tip is to find out what the menu will be for the holiday dinner.
- Do not show up hungry - Sometimes on the day of a holiday meal, we might not eat a big breakfast or lunch so that we can save room for the many different foods that are going to be at the holiday meal.
- Prep changes are okay - Don’t be afraid to ask to have a portion of vegetables that have sauce on the side or a salad that has the dressing on the side.
- Create one plate - when you are starting to sit down and get ready for dinner, instead of taking a little bit from one dish and then going back up for a little bit from a different dish, decide what you want and create one plate.
While anyone can be susceptible to experiencing food guilt, there are certain lifestyles that are more likely to attract this feeling. Once you recognize that you fall within one of these lifestyles, you will be one step closer to taking control and starting your wellness journey. However if you don’t relate with one of these lifestyles and still find yourself experiencing food guilt, it does not mean that you still can’t take control.
If you are not hosting the holiday dinner, don’t be afraid to call whoever is hosting it and ask what it going to be on the menu either the day of or the day before. This will calm your food anxiety a bit and you will be prepared for what food is being offered.
Holiday meals are all about preparation, accountability and some discipline. However, holiday meals are also about savoring and enjoyment; it’s important not to forget that piece. Through following these tips for navigating through holiday dinner food guilt, you can continue to nourish yourselves moving forward.
To access the full article on enjoying holiday food without guilt, click here.