Healthy over the holidays? Yes, it’s possible and more important than ever during this indulgent season. Join the American Heart Association in celebrating Eat Smart Day on Nov. 1 and Eat Smart Month the rest of November as first steps in winning the winter months and being Healthy For Good™.
Many people help themselves to an extra side here and there, but that can really add up. While people count on New Year’s resolutions to balance out the scale, studies show that half of the holiday weight gain sticks around until the summer months.
But, being healthy during the holidays doesn’t mean ditching your favorite meal or skipping an occasional indulgence. Instead, look for ingredient substitutions and add color with seasonal fruits and vegetables like apples, pears, pumpkins and broccoli.
Eat Smart Day and Eat Smart Month are part of the American Heart Association’s Healthy For Good Movement™, which was designed to help you make lasting changes through simple steps in four areas: Eat Smart, Add Color, Move More, Be Well. The American Heart Association recommends a balanced eating plan with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy proteins, low fat/non-fat dairy products, nuts, seeds, legumes and non-tropical vegetable oils.
For recipes and other practical information to help you eat smart during the holidays and year-round, join Healthy For Good at heart.org/HealthyForGood.
Our mission is to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. For nearly 100 years, we’ve been fighting heart disease and stroke, striving to save and improve lives. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer worldwide, and stroke ranks second globally. Even when those conditions don’t result in death, they cause disability and diminish quality of life. We want to see a world free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.