23 Healthy Holiday Food Swaps That Can Make a Huge Difference

It’s December, that wonderful time of the year when cheer levels reach critical mass, we pretend we’re looking forward to snow while secretly hoping it doesn’t destroy the new leather Alexander Wang boots we got, and start contemplating how to dodge Aunt Maeve’s incessant questions about when we’re going to settle down and have babies with the fake boyfriend we found on Google Image Search (well, that backfired, didn’t it?).

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OK, so not everything about the holidays is so holly jolly, but we still love spending time with our families eating our favorite foods from childhood. Now if only we had the metabolism and energy levels we did when were kids… then we wouldn’t have to be concerned about what we eat this time of year. The good news is, despite all the outcry about the holiday weight gain, it turns out most people only gain about a pound or two this time of year. The bad news is all that high-sugar, high-fat, high-carb food can leave us feeling bloated and lethargic.

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While this is hardly the time of year to restrict your diet to raw veggies and flavorless protein, that doesn’t mean you can’t make healthier choices during the holidays—even if it’s just to feel 100 percent totally and completely justified having a whopping slice of nosy Aunt Maeve’s sugar-shockingly scrumptious Southern pecan pie.

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It’s all about making choices you know won’t leave you feeling crummy (especially if you have more than one holiday party to attend) and picking the things that you feel are worth indulging in. To feel your energetic best during the holiday season, limit sodium and highly processed foods, bad fat, too many sweets, added sugars, and fatty or processed meats.

From healthier swaps to better-for-you recipes, we’ve got all the tips you need to enjoy the holiday season in high style without the hangover (of the cocktail or food variety).