Eating healthier throughout the holidays when you dine in or out

The December holidays calls for family feasts and generous spreads. This year, a few simple considerations can ensure that you don't just have good food, but food that's good for you. Here are some handy tips and tricks to help you eat healthily, at home or when dining out:

Hosting meals at your home

Hosting at home need not be stressful if you plan well and make food preparation an inclusive family affair. As you have more control over exactly what goes into your dishes, it's a great opportunity to include all kinds of healthy twists in your meals:

• As far as possible, avoid highly processed snacks like fried chips. Replace these with healthier homemade baked vegetable options. Favour homemade hummus and mashed bean dips, cottage cheese or avocado instead of store-bought sauces and dips that are usually high in sugar and salt.
• Replace highly refined white rolls or garlic bread with whole-wheat versions or, even better - with roasted veggies like sweet potato and butternut, baked aubergines and grilled sweetcorn.
• Encourage healthy drinking simply by not stocking many (if any) sugary beverages in your house. Dilute fruit juices with water to reduce the sugar content per serving; or mix with vegetable juices like cucumber or spinach. Try making your own low sugar iced tea. You can even experiment with some festive cocktails - healthier or alcohol-free versions of your favourites with less syrup and more fresh fruit. Make sure your guests always have cold jugs of water (infused with fruit and mint) within easy reach.

Dining out at a restaurant or buffet

Ever scan a restaurant menu and visualise all your good intentions of sticking to a healthy diet fly out the window? We've come up with seven handy ways to stay on track. Read how to avoid temptation when eating out here.

Plus, with Vitality HealthyDining you can get rewarded with up to 25% back on healthier meal options at our restaurant, convenience and ready-made meal partners. Plus, Vitality kids get up to 50% back on qualifying meals.

And if you're at a buffet, don't fill yourself with energy-dense treats first. For example, at a hotel breakfast, load your plate with more nutritious foods like scrambled eggs, grilled tomatoes and sautéed mushrooms first. Eat slowly to give yourself enough time to feel full, which will make it less likely that you will still want to reach for that croissant.

So go on - try these festive season food healthy tips to enjoy tasty meals without compromising your health, and start your 2023 with smart habits you'll be keen to keep up throughout the year!