Navigating Nutrition Around the Holidays

Nutrition Around the Holidays: A Balanced, Flexible Approach

The holiday season can feel like a tricky time to stay content with your nutrition practice, especially as an athlete with specific performance, recovery or body composition goals.

There is a lot of noise and unsolicited advice regarding how to approach the holidays. Much of that advice - even from well meaning friends or family - is often disordered eating under the guise of “wellness,” health or fitness.

As athletes, fueling your body with the right nutrients while also enjoying seasonal treats is key to long-term success. A sustainable nutrition practice is one that enhances your life, not one that limits it or creates guilt.

The key is to continually focus on the simplicity of nutrition—providing your body with what it needs while enjoying the foods and flavors you love.

If you maintain this mindset year-round, how you approach nutrition during the holidays doesn’t need to be different at all. A consistent, balanced approach throughout the year makes navigating the holidays much easier, allowing you to enjoy the season fully with less stress and anxiety.

3 Mindful Eating Tips for the Holidays (and Year-Round)

• Focus on Plating Your Meals
  Taking the time to plate your meals helps you visually establish your food, promoting satiety while making it easier to be aware of portions and nutrient intake. A balanced plate with a lean, quality protein, carbohydrates and colorful vegetables sets you up to feel nourished and satisfied, even during holiday meals!

• Sit Down While You Eat and Remove Distractions
  Sitting down to eat, away from technology and distractions, helps you connect with your physical cues. Are you feeling full? Satisfied? Thirsty? By being mindful of how your body feels, you’ll be more in tune with when you are comfortably full, avoiding the discomfort or “stuffed” feeling.

• Enjoy the Meal & Savor the Moment
  Slow down, savor the flavors, and engage in conversation with those around you. Eating slowly and mindfully allows you to fully enjoy the experience. By being present in the moment, you’ll enhance both the joy of the meal and the connection with your company. Holiday meals are about more than just food—they’re about sharing meaningful moments.

Most of all, remember that your nutrition practice should enhance your holiday celebrations, not create fear or anxiety.

If you find yourself eating past the point of comfort, it’s not serving you.

And if you're so stressed about what you're eating that you can't enjoy being present with family and friends, that’s not serving you either.

The goal is to celebrate with food that nourishes both your body and your spirit in a way that feels good, both mentally and physically. By keeping your approach to nutrition balanced and flexible all year long, you’ll find that the holidays can be a time to celebrate food, not stress about it.

If you want to improve your relationship with food, think about food less, and focus on living more, let's work together to make it happen. With the right approach, your nutrition can enhance your life, not limit it. Reach out to start building a sustainable plan that supports your goals, happiness and quality of life.

hi, I’m katie!

As a lifelong athlete myself, I know the difference nutrition makes in athletic performance. After transitioning from collegiate softball to competitive Crossfit, I dove into macro-based nutrition habits and now help other athletes do the same!

Having working with nationally and internationally recognized athletes, I now help competitive and lifestyle athletes learn to fuel for their unique needs.

I would love to connect with you and hear about your specific goals.