Healthy for the Holidays

Holidays are around the corner! There are tons of tasty foods around and good conversation to be shared with family and friends! When going home for the holidays it can be challenging to stay on track with previous set goals, however, not to fear, support is here! Here are some of our performance-approved healthy swaps and healthy practices that you can incorporate over the holidays while still enjoying yourself!

Physical Activity

Training may differ for each athlete depending on which part of the training season they are in. Some athletes are still required to report back to campus over the holidays for practices and others are given individualized training recommendations by strength coaches. Whatever it may be, as long as it is medically safe for an athlete to train, it is recommended to stay active and better yet, to get the whole family involved!

For the average adult, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, physical activity guidelines for Americans suggests that adults should move more throughout the day. Even though it is the holidays, staying active whether it be per training recommendations or general activity guidelines, some movement is better than none. Depending on the weather, activity can include hiking, walking around the neighborhood, dancing, running errands around the house, roaming around the grocery store or the local mall!

According to general guidelines, for health benefits, it is recommended for adults “to get at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity”.1 Additional health benefits are gained by engaging in more physical activity in addition to muscle strengthening activities at least on 2 or more days per week.1 Over the holidays, families tend to be less active. One way to increase motivation to exercise is by getting the whole family involved, which can make the holidays even more fun!

Keep Recovery Nutrition and Meal Times Consistent

Recovery Nutrition: During the holidays, off-training days or even long summer breaks, I recommend that my athletes stay consistent with meal planning and intake. Even if athletes are training on their own over the holidays, practicing recovery is still important. Portion sizes of meals may change depending on the level of activity, however, just because an athlete may not be training as much as they did while in school, does not mean that recovery is not purposeful. With recovery, athletes can repair muscles, maintain and build strength, and increase storage sites for energy. Recovery also prevents soreness and helps to boost performance for the next training session.

I recommend getting recovery nutrition within a 30-60 minute window. During this time, the body is able to synthesize glycogen (storage site of carbohydrates) and recover muscles at a quicker rate!2 If you don’t plan to eat a meal within an hour of working out, then make sure to grab a snack! Recovery nutrition over the holidays can include pre-packaged or homemade protein shakes, bars, a snack or a meal with adequate carbohydrates and protein! For more information on what kind of recovery nutrition may be the best fit for you, check out this “Fueling for Recovery” fact sheet created by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Sports Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN)- a dietetic practice group for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Meal Consistency: How many times have we heard people say that they are not going to eat all day just to save all of their calories for the holiday meal? I advise against this. I encourage athletes to stay consistent with eating patterns. Even if the whole family is sleeping in, make it a goal to start the day off by eating shortly after waking up. Aim to eat at least three meals per day during the holiday break and snacks in between. Keeping intake consistent helps to keep energy consistent, prevents overeating and the breaking down of muscle (which for some they have worked hard to build all season long!).

Healthy Versions of your Holiday Favorites

We hear a lot about what we should not eat over the holidays, but I encourage athletes to focus on how they can boost nutrition on to their plates. Some of our holiday table staples include egg nog, stuffed potatoes, creamed spinach, pot roast, candied yams, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, cream-based dips, croissants, holiday-flavored hot beverages, sugar cookies, dark-meat turkey, biscuits and pecan pie.

If meals are being made and prepared at home, there are ways to incorporate healthy alternatives to these holidays staples. For example, athletes can:

Use low-fat dairy products in recipes that call for cream. For a non-dairy alternative: consider using coconut beverages, pureed beans, bananas or avocado
Skip full-fat dips and use yogurt-based or hummus and avocado-based dips, beet dips, pumpkin dips or consider legumes like black bean and lentil dips
Purchase low sugar egg-nog products or cut the fat and sugar if making a home-made recipe. Consider adding cocoa powder to warm low-fat milk or to an almond/soy beverage or switch to a hot chai as a healthier beverage alternative
Swap regular potatoes and candied yams for roasted sweet potatoes
Swap white rice meals for brown rice, quinoa, farro, whole-wheat pasta meals
Swap candies and ice creams for frozen grapes or fruit/veggie-based frozen treats
Swap pecan pie for home-made apple, peach pies or bake whole fruits!
Swap pot roast, dark-meat turkey for white-meat turkey, grilled fish or tofu
Finally, I encourage home-made versions of traditional holiday foods instead of store-bought packages or cans that may be packed in sugar, sodium or fat. If purchasing products from the store, look for “low-fat” and “low-sodium” alternatives.

If athletes choose to eat traditional recipes, I’d recommend finding ways to boost the nutritional profile of their meals. For example, if an athlete eats traditional mashed potatoes, I encourage them to find ways to add more steamed and grilled veggies to their plates and more fruit for dessert. If they are used to eating dark meat, I encourage splitting between half dark and half white meat. If someone wants a slice of pecan pie, I encourage sticking to a portion size and adding a cup of milk and some fresh fruit! Small changes can make a difference.

Another goal this holiday season is to continue to hydrate throughout the day. Hydrating with at least 3-4 liters of fluids per day helps to support health and performance. For more on hydration, visit our Mpowher Blog Post, “An Overlooked Way To Gain a Competitive Edge”. By keeping an eye out for ways to keep daily fueling practices consistent, even during the holidays, in addition to hydration and physical activity, it will be less difficult to get back to hard training and meeting nutrition goals once returning back to campus after the new year.

By hydrating daily, staying physically active, continuing to practice recovery nutrition, finding ways to boost nutrition in your traditional holiday meals, one can continue to meet training goals and optimal nutrition practices, while still being able to enjoy quality time with loved ones and the holiday season!

AUTHOR: YASI ANSARI

Yasi is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD). She specializes in sports nutrition and women's health. She is based in California and currently consults one-on-one with female athletes, coaches and sports teams at local universities and high schools. Growing up in the performing arts, Yasi understands the importance nutrition plays in the day-to-day of an athlete.

Her goal is to empower female athletes through nutrition education and to help them improve health and performance by adopting sustainable and sound nutrition practices that will help meet high training demands and recovery needs. Yasi Ansari earned her undergraduate degree in Mass Communication Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and a Master of Science Degree in Family and Consumer Sciences with a distinction in Nutrition and Dietetics from the California State University, Northridge.

Instagram: @yasiansarinutrition

References

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2018.

https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition/pdf/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf

NCAA, SCAN. “Fueling for Recovery”. 2013.

https://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/Fueling%20For%20Recovery.pdf

Mpowher Blog. “An overlooked way to gain a competitive edge”. https://www.mpowherathlete.com/mpowher-blog/hydration-for-athletes