Baking delicious deserts, shopping for gifts the day after Thanksgiving, eating elaborate meals are all wonderful holiday traditions that may be a part of your experience. In my family of origin we had plenty, from eating potato soup on Christmas Eve to taking midnight walks on New Years. But I have to admit I struggled with creating traditions for my own little family, especially healthy ones. At about the time I used to take my last bite of stuffing I would get caught up in the excess that comes with holidays. The over-scheduling. The overindulging. The over-consuming. As a family we’ve begun to work on creating some healthier traditions more in keeping with our healthy lifestyle. If you’re interested in doing the same try a few of the following.

Spend Time Together
Research suggests that family rituals are significant to child’s healthy development. Create rituals around whatever holidays you celebrate. Set aside a special time for being together as a family. Just being together. Another idea is to create gratitude rituals in which every family member expresses their thanks. Or create music or sing together.

Give to Others
Give as a family, either time or money. Whatever you are doing include your children in the process, the decisions and the experience. For example if you are purchasing a gift for a family in need let your child pick it out and wrap it. Also consider making gifts as a family. I have fond memories of laughing with my mom and sister as we painstakingly shoved cloves into oranges to give as gifts to neighbors. Consider buying or giving gently used items. I buy mostly used toys for my kids. I feel better about the money we spend and like I’m not being as much of a consumer as I used to be. We also talk a lot about recycling and reusing so it fits that our behavior around the holidays is congruent with that.

Create Healthy Edible Traditions
Most families have traditions that involve baking and eating. Typically holiday fare tends to fall way to one side on the continuum of healthy food. Go ahead and enjoy it all, in moderation, but also try to include healthier choices for your family. Make cookies/baked goods with whole-wheat flour, create meatless holiday meals, or replace creamed vegetables with spinach salads. If you know you are going to a meal with less than healthy options fill your kids up with healthy snacks before you head to the event. If you celebrate the Christmas tradition of stockings, stuff them with fun fruit and healthy snacks.

Get Outdoors
I love the idea of making the outdoors a tradition. We have the tradition of taking a hike every holiday and if there is snow cross-country skiing on New Years Day.  Not only do we feel healthy and relaxed we are spending quality time together. Bring the outdoors in, decorate your home with seasonal goodies; gourds in the fall, pine boughs in the winter, you get the idea.

Simplify
Learn to say no to requests that don’t work for your family. I always feel so bad for the families who have to cram in six meals/events within a 24-hour period. It is almost impossible to be relaxed and joyful in all that transition. Make decisions that work for your family and create time for you to be alone together.

Finally, whatever traditions you start for your family consider writing them down. My mother writes down her holiday meals, what worked, what didn’t, who came, what was said. Create a traditions journal; record what you did and how it went. Put it someplace easily accessible, for instance with your cookbooks. In our busy lives it is often hard to remember yesterday let alone what you did a year ago, writing it down will help you remember your intentions and honor your commitment to them.

Wishing you joy and peace as you create some wonderful healthy holiday traditions.
 


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