With fall upon us, people have started to get excited for the upcoming holiday season.

But holiday excitement can also cause stress, especially for those on a diet.

RD Natalie Allen, clinical assistant professor of biomedical sciences at Missouri State University, offers some tips to eat and stay healthy this Thanksgiving season.

Eat what you want

People often believe they need to be careful about which foods they eat during the holidays.

Allen suggests that is not always the case.

“You do not need to be mindful about what you eat during the holidays,” said Allen. “Eat what you want, whether it’s pumpkin pie or sweet potato casserole.”

Holidays are celebrations. It’s normal to splurge and eat foods that may not be as healthy during the holidays. But practice moderation.

Stay active

Time becomes even more valuable during the holiday season.

Most people are busy shopping, working, or attending events. Yet, it is important to take time to stay during the busy period, Allen shares.

Simply taking an hour walk around your neighborhood is enough activity to keep you healthy.

“By staying active, people will feel better and in turn be able to maintain a healthy weight, even during the busy time,” Allen said.

Eat breakfast

While it may seem like a good idea to skip breakfast until your big meal, it’s not as efficient as you think.

“The number one thing about eating healthy the day of a holiday is to eat a small breakfast and lunch,” Allen said.

This will help you not only to stay in your normal eating pattern, but also prevent you from eating too much during your main holiday meal.

Plan ahead

Allen recommends planning your holiday and post-holiday meals in the week leading up to Thanksgiving.

“If you plan healthy meals ahead of time, you will not feel as stressed,” Allen said.

Having these plans in place will give you the chance to enjoy the holidays and then get back to normal after the celebrations.

Allen suggests one way to meal plan is to use online ordering while shopping for groceries. It helps you plan meals for the week and keep track of items you are putting in your basket while you shop.

She also recommends only planning four meals a week. It will help make the task easier and less daunting.

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