Healthy Holiday Tips for the Family

The holiday season is here and with it come Christmas parties, New Year’s celebrations…and food, food, and more food! Not to mention that when the temperatures drop and the sunset comes early, it gets harder and harder to make sure you (and your family) are getting the exercise you need to stay healthy through the holidays.


Keeping up with healthy habits has benefits for your whole body – like helping to avoid holiday weight gain, helping to fend off holiday stress and fatigue, and helping to keep your immune system strong. Many people give up on healthy habits during the holidays but with these tips you can teach your children how to stay healthy during this busy time of year.

• Feed your children – and yourself – a light meal or snack before going to a holiday party. It’s harder to avoid overeating when you’re overly hungry.


• Set a good example for children by eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains with meals or as snacks.

• Offer to bring a healthy; low-calorie dish to holiday parties so you’ll know that at least one healthy item will be available.

• Teach your children to eat smaller portions of food, especially at a buffet, where they may want to try everything. Help them choose the items they want to try the most, and eat a small portion of each.

• Sodas and other sweet drinks contain a lot of calories and many contain caffeine. For a healthier version of “soda” mix 100% fruit juice with club soda or seltzer.

• The holiday season can keep you extra busy but try to avoid fast food – it may be handy, but is often high in fat and low in nutrition.

Tips for Physical Activity:


• Hula Hoop, Jump Rope: If Rocky can jump rope for hours, it’s got to be good, right? Grab a few hula hoops and jump ropes, clear out one of your rooms, and turn on some fast-paced music. Your kids will love learning new skills, and you’ll love getting their heart rates up! You can even hold a tournament or a competition to make it more interesting.

• Dance: In First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign, she encourages parents and children to get up and dance. Not only can you learn valuable moves on the dance floor, but merely dancing around for an hour can burn upwards of 200 calories! Take a leaf out of Michelle’s book: turn on some holiday music and dance around the house.

• Active Video Games: Traditional video games, albeit fun and endlessly entertaining, are extremely sedentary activities and should be limited to just an hour or two a week. The new, active video games incorporate fitness, coordination, and even dance skills! Consider Dance Revolution, Wii Bowling, Play station Move or Xbox Kinect next time your kids want to spend hours in front of the television on a cold or rainy day.

• The Gift that Keeps Giving: Give gifts that encourage physical activity, like active games or sporting equipment. Santa knows that even the simplest presents, like a ball or hula hoop, help support activity and leave open endless possibilities for fun family games.

From all of us @ The Polk County Extension Office..Have a Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!!!!

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SWEET POTATOES!

Sweet potatoes are a staple food & in season right now. Though gaining in popularity they are typically relegated to side dish status in the United States. No complaints though; they are a stellar side loaded with beta-carotene, vitamin C and dietary fiber. In fact, sweet potatoes have been dubbed a “superfood” for their superior nutritional qualities.


From raw to roasted, recipes for sweet potatoes abound. Raw sweet potato sticks or medallions are a “new” child-friendly veggie for dipping. Children of all ages love baked sweet potato chips or fries. The more mature palate might enjoy a roasted sweet potato salsa or a refreshing sweet and sour slaw. Sweet potato biscuits and sweet potato pound cake offer a naturally sweet twist on two Southern favorites. And of course there’s no forgetting the holiday favorite: sweet potato pie.

Not long ago, I read that Martha Stewart takes a fresh-baked sweet potato with her when she heads to the airport. It makes an easy meal and it’s much healthier than most of the food sold in the airport. The idea works for lunch at your desk, too. Here’s all it takes: Wash a sweet potato and pierce several times with a fork; Microwave on high for 3 to 4 minutes, turning the sweet potato halfway through cooking time. Remove from the microwave, wrap in aluminum foil and allow it to “rest” for at least 5 minutes. Simply season with a little salt and pepper or the topping of your choice and enjoy!

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