The holiday season is especially tough on college students. We go from cramming in papers and pulling all-nighters for finals, to stuffing our faces with Christmas cookies and holiday treats. Holiday meals usually consist of appetizer, dinner, dessert, and then more dessert. Here are some simple steps I follow throughout the holiday season!

Appetizers:

Try not to eat too much of this stuff! Although it's incredibly delicious, if you fill up on this stuff you won't have enough room for dinner and dessert! My family always has an antipasto platter (we're Italian, you'll start to see the trend). An antipasto platter usually consists of meats, cheeses, vegetables and nuts. It is so hard to control myself when it comes to this, like all cheese platters. It's definitely okay to eat some of this stuff, but don't fill up on just the bread. Have some of the meats and cheeses without the added carbohydrate or load up on vegetables. Check out these appetizer and snack recipes from Minimalist Baker for some Holiday dinner inspiration!

Dinner:

Holiday dinners are a lot like Thanksgiving dinner for a lot of families. Turkey, chicken, or ham, and lots of delicious side dishes! Like Thanksgiving, it is important to keep in mind the My Plate diagram. This shows that your plate should contain at least half fruits and vegetables, a quarter protein and a quarter carbohydrates. This goes for plate number two as well! By following the diagram you are assuring your body micro-nutrients from the fruits and vegetables as well as the needed lean protein and complex carbohydrates. If you eat your Holiday dinner like my family, you know meatballs and pasta are going to be on your plate. Remember to keep in mind that you need 50 percent of your plate to include veggies! Check out these holiday dinner recipes to try at your table this year!

Dessert:

My favorite part! Cookies are my absolute weakness and around the holidays there are so many different and yummy kinds! While I would never ever tell you not to eat all the cookies you possibly can, try to pair them with some fruit and even tea to help you digest. A really cool idea is to take strawberries and cut the tops of them (the pointy end), hollow out the inside with a small spoon, and fill with homemade whipped cream (less processed than store bought), then add the point top back on and it looks just like a Santa!

Or you could really be an overachiever (not really) and try to make some of these healthy holiday cookies for your family!

These are just a few of the tips that I follow throughout my holiday meal to try and stay healthy. I love food and I firmly believe that food is NOT the enemy. I like to do everything in moderation. I love sweets but I won't fill up on sweets. Staying healthy is all about balance. If you want to eat a bunch of cookies, do it! Pair it with some fruit as well, and you'll be adding so much more nutrients to your body. I hope everyone has a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season!