As the festive season approaches, Christmas brings with it a time for celebrations, togetherness, and delicious meals and desserts. While the holiday seasons are filled with indulgence and joyful family gatherings, they also present a remarkable opportunity to reflect on how nutrition and dietetics can support our health and wellbeing during this season. Most importantly, this is the perfect time to practice gratitude for the food on our tables and the cultural traditions that make every meal meaningful!
In this blog, we will explore how you can embrace this festive season while nourishing your body, celebrating different culinary traditions, and embarking on a beautiful season of gratitude towards celebrating this season and healthy eating.
How do you find a healthy balance between Christmas and Nutrition?
It is no secret that Christmas is synonymous with overindulgence in delicious meals, festive cocktails, and decadent desserts. The more the merrier, and this makes it easy to overeat. Enjoying the holiday season does not mean sacrificing your health and diet goals. By practicing mindfulness eating, you can achieve a healthy balance between enjoying Christmas treats and maintaining good health and nutrition.
Here are some of our Dietitians' tips for a balanced festive feast:
- Fill your plate with colours: Include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to ensure you are getting enough vitamins and fibre. Try roasted vegetables of different colours, your favourite salads, and seasonal fruits such as mangoes, stone fruits, and cherries.
- Portion control: It is easy to overindulge with large meals but try to enjoy smaller portions of your favourite foods to savour the foods without the discomfort of overeating. Fill half of your plate with colourful vegetables, a quarter of your plate with protein such as lean meats, skinless chicken, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds and another quarter of your plate with healthy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta or bread.
- Hydration is important: With the festive flow of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, remember to enjoy 1.5-2 litres of water to keep you feeling hydrated and refreshed.
- Balance Indulgence with Movement: Enjoy a post-meal walk with family and friends. Include exercises you enjoy with family and friends, to give you an energy boost that can also help create a memorable and meaningful season too.
- Enjoy the treats you love: In this festive season, do not shy away from your favourite treats. Enjoy them in moderation with nourishing meals to keep a healthy balance diet.
Celebrating Cultural Diversity Through Food
Food is more than just fuel—it is deeply tied to culture, tradition, and identity as identified by Nutrition Australia for this year’s Nutrition Week. For many families, Christmas meals reflect a rich tapestry of cultural heritage, passed down through generations. In nutrition and dietetics, we recognise that cultural perspectives play a significant role in our relationship with food, and honouring these traditions is part of holistic health.
From dietitian telehealth appointments to in-person consultations, dietitians recognise the importance of cultural foods in maintaining a healthy and realistic relationship with food.
Food is central to holiday celebrations, and Christmas feasts around the world reflect diverse cultural traditions. In India, dishes like chicken curry and biryani take centre stage, bursting with spices that add both flavour and health benefits. Chinese celebrations often feature symbolic foods like dumplings and roast duck, representing prosperity and balance.
Meanwhile, in Australia, Christmas meals embrace the summer season with fresh seafood, salads, BBQs, and summer fruits creating a vibrant and fun outdoor feast. Each of these cultural traditions adds richness to the holiday experience, demonstrating that nutrition and dietetics are not just about what we eat, but also about honouring the stories, heritage, and connections behind each meal!
Whether it’s a Christmas pudding in the UK, tamales in Mexico, or a seafood feast in Italy, the foods we choose to celebrate with are often tied to our cultural identities. As dietitians, we value these cultural traditions and understand that nutrition is not just about nutrient intake—it’s about the joy, connection, and history that food brings. Whether you are consulting a food service dietitian or a dietitian funded by the NDIS such as ORS, it is essential to maintain balance while celebrating your cultural foods.
If you’re celebrating a cultural tradition this Christmas, know that your unique dishes can be balanced and enjoyed with a nutritious diet. Celebrating cultural foods in moderation and combining them with nutrient-rich, whole foods can create a meaningful and nourishing holiday experience.
From all of us at ORS Dietetics, we wish you and your family a nourishing and culturally-filled Christmas holiday!
If you require ongoing support from our expert NDIS Dietitians or ready to take the next step in your nutrition journey, give us a call on 1800 000 677 or refer now!
About this blog
This blog was co-authored by Meher Vatvani & Erene Thong.
