Food is a traditional focal point of the holiday season. Whether you’re craving old standbys or trying something new, it’s easy for normal eating patterns to take a backseat at this time of year.

“Delightful food is within easy reach throughout the holidays. This holiday food is often higher in fat and sugar than our normal fare,” said registered dietician Sharon McNerney. “This means people often consume more calories than they realize, which can add on unwanted and unhealthy inches to our waistlines.”

Here are a few “survival” tips to help you enjoy special holiday foods, while still eating healthy:

• Eat foods high in fiber to feel fuller longer. Seasonal high-fiber vegetables such as spinach, beans, carrots, pumpkin and cabbage are good choices.
• Eat a small low-fat and low-calorie snack and drink a glass of water before a party or family get-together. Foods high in protein, like tuna or cottage cheese, also help you to eat less later. One great snack option is Chicken of the Sea Tuna Salad Cups paired with cucumber slices instead of crackers.
• Learn to embrace leftovers. Holiday leftovers make some of the best meals and snacks, and you will save calories (and your waistline) by not feeling like you have to eat everything in one sitting.
• Balance high-calorie holiday food by eating healthy meals when not at a get-together. Consider trying the following low-calorie recipes:
  • Change-of-Pace Tuna Casserole, with only 380 calories per serving
  • Easy New England Clam Chowder has just 118 calories per serving
  • Saucy Tuna Vegetable Potato Topper has only 224 calories per serving
• Use healthy substitutes for ingredients when you whip up your signature holiday dishes. You can use low-fat or skim milk instead of whole milk in some dishes. In some baked goods, you can even swap applesauce for oil.
• Don’t forget to fit exercise into your busy holiday schedule. Traditional outdoor fall and winter activities such as ice skating and skiing are a great way to burn calories and help vary exercise regimens to deter boredom.

Finally, enjoy yourself. The holidays come but once a year and it’s a time to relax, be thankful and celebrate.

Source: SheKnows.com, USDA, EatingWell.com

Good nutrition and physical activity help children grow up healthy. Parents play an important role in making healthy choices for their children and teaching them to make healthy choices for themselves. But in today’s busy world, this isn’t always easy.

Here are some tips to help make healthy meal choices for children:

Fruits and vegetables:

• According to the United States Department of Agriculture, children should eat five fruits and vegetables a day. Leave a bowl of fruit or carrot sticks on the kitchen table to help ensure your child is getting the recommend daily amount.
• Small, whole vegetables and florets, and fruits are almost always appealing to children. Now and again, encourage your child to try a new fruit or vegetable by arranging a platter in fun shapes or pictures.
• Serve vegetables on, in or with something your child really likes (as part of a pizza topping or stirred into macaroni and cheese). Consider trying the Tuscan Tuna Melt Flatbread Pizza or adding vegetables, such as peas to tuna macaroni.
• Create an interest in good foods at the supermarket; help toddlers identify colors and shapes, preschoolers compare sizes and kindergartners find veggies that begin with each letter of the alphabet.

Healthy choices to reduce fat and sugar:

• Switch to low- or non-fat milk, yogurt and cheese.
• Use tuna and salmon in dishes that call for other protein sources, such as chicken.
• Bake or grill instead of fry.
• Substitute olive or vegetable oil for butter.
• Substitute water or low-fat milk for sodas or sweetened beverages.
• Switch desserts like ice cream and cake for fruit-based desserts.

Healthy meal planning is important because it not only helps save time and money, but also helps improve the nutritional quality of your diet, either at home or on the go. By learning some simple tips and tricks, you will be able to more easily plan an entire week’s worth of meals, without having to make multiple stops at the grocery store.

Begin by selecting the recipes and meals you wish to make for the week.

• Make it a family affair and ask for meal ideas. By including everyone in the household in the planning process, they’ll be more likely to eat meals prepared or snacks on hand.
• Consider using frozen or canned foods to make a meal quicker to prepare.
• Plan for extra busy days or evenings, and choose meal options that are quick and easy to make. During the week, plan simple dinners and save complex or multi-step recipes for the weekends.

Create your shopping list.

• Write down everything you will need to make the meals planned for the week and then check to see what you may already have in your kitchen.
• Review the staple items in your pantry and refrigerator to make sure you are well stocked. This will make it easier to create quick and nutritious meals at home. While staple items will vary from household to household, here are some examples:
  • A variety of spices and seasonings
  • Dried pasta
  • Whole-grain dried rice
  • Crackers
  • Tomato sauce
  • Olive oil
  • Canned or pouched tuna and salmon
  • Frozen fruit and vegetables (especially during winter months, when fresh fruit and vegetables isn’t as plentiful)

Last week marked Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten season for millions of people around the world. Lent is a time of abstinence and fasting, and one of the biggest challenges the 40 days offers is avoiding eating meat on Fridays. For some people, this may be an easy change, but for others, looking for alternatives to eating meat for breakfast, lunch and dinner may be a daunting task.

While finding ways to avoid meat does take a little bit of thought, it can be easier with some simple planning ahead.

• A good place to start is by making a list each weekend of the meals you would like to cook during the upcoming week so you are not stuck coming up with meatless meals on the fly. Be sure to pay close attention to calendaring out each Friday and assigning meatless dishes that you can make ahead of time.
• You should also try to keep in mind what you make for dinner on Thursday nights, as these meals can provide the perfect opportunity for leftovers.
• Don’t forget to focus on meals you can freeze and serve at a later date!

Already feeling organized? Spruce up your Lenten meals by adding a twist to your favorite recipes.

• Try substituting seafood into the dishes that you usually make with meat, like enchiladas, burgers and pizza. Seafood not only offers a large number of choices and flexibility when meal planning, but it is also low in calories and high in needed nutrients like heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, according to the USDA, American Heart Association, American Medical Association and American Diabetes Association, seafood should be eaten twice a week to help improve overall health.
• You can even try Chicken of the Sea’s Healthy Selections pouches, and tuna and salmon cups for a quick seafood fix when you’re on the go.

For more meal ideas you can use during Lent and throughout the rest of the year, check out Chicken of the Sea’s online database of Mermaid approved recipes.