10 Ways to Reduce Your Sugar Intake During the Holidays

How do you reduce your sugar intake when the host offers just one more cookie? Whether you’re planning the holiday soiree this year, attending with an edible contribution in tow or just trying to make it through the grocery store without buying the entire seasonal dessert display, we’ve put together a list of tricks and tools to help you minimize the impact of a sugar overload while still enjoying the occasional festive indulgence.

When the holiday season approaches, our routine lives transform into a bundle of lists, a packed social calendar and a palpable sense of pressure. So often we rush through the schedule, hitting the parties and errands with a busy, distracted mind. This can cause us to overeat, drink more than we planned to and finish our dessert without even remembering what it tasted like. Wherever you are in the process this year, make the decision to slow down, savor the meal in front of you and think about what brings you joy to recenter your mood and energy.

The beauty of bringing a dessert to the party is that you get to decide what goes into it. If you’re baking from scratch, search for recipes that include less refined (or less, altogether) sugars like maple syrup, coconut sugar, dates or raw honey. If you’re picking up from a local business, look for baked goods that include healthy nuts, seeds, fruit and/or whole grains.

Fruicuterie boards are the perfect centerpiece for dessert and can be an oasis for lighter, fresher after-dinner sweets. Seasonal fruit like persimmons, pomegranate, pears, apples and citrus like blood oranges and grapefruits make an incredibly beautiful presentation as well as help cleanse your palate between richer bites.