(5-minute read)
July 1, 2020
Welcome. I appreciate you and wish you many healthy days in your NOW.
The facts are clear. Small things matter. Every choice has consequences, and every consequence changes us. Just a few small changes in our eating priorities can wake up our systems, shape up our bodies, and add years of healthy living to our NOW.
7 Smart Holiday Survival Tips for Vegans and WannaBe’s
Being vegan or trying to eat smarter can be tough around the holidays. Holiday celebrations in the UK, Canada, Asia, Australia and especially the United States are not necessarily conducive to a vegan, vegetarian, or even just a healthy lifestyle.
You can make it through though, without falling prey to the tasty animal-based foods and decadent desserts that seem to be everywhere.
Remember these 7 smart holiday tips for healthy choices and you may even convert a few friends or family members to your healthier way of life.
We’re going VEGAN here – for NOW, and I know you can do it! Be open, be creative, and SURPRISE YOURSELF. Focus on taste, texture, and presentation.
1. Host Your Own Holiday Celebration – The best way to ensure you stick to your vegan/vegetarian/healthy beliefs is to throw your own holiday feast in your home. You probably have plenty of friends and family that would love to let you do all the cleaning, cooking, and hosting. This gives you a chance to fool some meat-eaters with Tofurky, and you also benefit from not having to drive a long distance after overindulging.
2. BYOV – You could always Bring Your Own Vegan. That’s right, why not just cook a few entrees and side dishes you would enjoy eating and carry them to your holiday get-together to share. What host wouldn’t appreciate you doing some of the cooking, after all?
3. Dine Out – There is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a holiday meal at your favorite vegan-friendly restaurant. There is no messy cleanup for you to deal with afterwards, and some of your friends may surprise you by wanting to tag along and try something vegan.
4. Throw Down the Gauntlet – Do you have friends and family who are very competitive in nature? Issue them a vegan challenge. Even meat-eaters know the risks of a predominantly meat-based diet. Challenge your competitive friends and family members to enjoy a meatless holiday. The result might just be helping someone you love to live a much healthier lifestyle.
5. Get Creative – Get online and start looking for creative vegan alternatives to holiday favorites. Suddenly, eggnog becomes “vegnogg”, and you can find stuffing recipes that are just as delicious as the traditional varieties. You will even discover that you can make yummy dishes like mashed potatoes and gravy that adhere strictly to your vegan mindset.
6. Be Considerate – The holidays are a time to spend with the ones you love. You can stick to your personal vegan beliefs without belittling others or making them feel like an outsider if you host a holiday vegan celebration.
7. Add Calorie Counts – Why not include a nutritional value placard, chart, or tag to any vegan dishes you contribute to a holiday celebration? Meat lovers are just as concerned about their calorie counts as vegetarians and vegans. When they taste your delicious vegan dishes and see how healthy they are, they may begin to see the light.
Take extraordinarily good care of yourself, Champion.
The NOW is all we get.
Take care!