By Ashley Koff, RD
Ah, the holidays. The most wonderful time of the year, and also the most chaotic for your blood sugar.
Between marathon shopping trips, potlucks with twelve kinds of dessert, and travel days that feel longer than Santa’s naughty list, your regular health routine doesn’t just take a back seat — it’s clinging to the roof rack.
The good news is that you don’t need a “detox,” “cleanse,” or the self-control of a monk to feel good this season. You just need rhythm, real food, and a plan that’s actually fun to follow.
Let’s ditch the perfectly unhelpful advice that shows up everywhere and help you personalize a better holiday health plan. Because when your plan’s got protein, pit stops, and a sense of humor, you can “sleigh” those holiday health goals.
Why the Holidays Make Health Goals a Challenge
The holidays come wrapped in joy and also in sugar, stress, and skipped meals.
You’re running from school concerts to white elephant parties, telling yourself, “I’ll eat later.” (Spoiler: “later” becomes 10 pm with a charcuterie plate and a candy cane.)
You don’t have a willpower problem. You have a rhythm problem. Your body runs best on consistency — like feeding it every 3 to 4 hours during a 10–12 hour caloric window (say, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.) that starts when your body needs energy most (within 2 hours of waking) and stops when it pivots to recovery mode (sleep), when it has a whole other to-do list and doesn’t want any more caloric work to process.. Miss those pit stops and your daytime energy tanks (and your nighttime sleep suffers), cravings spike, and suddenly you’re elbow-deep in frosted cookies, wondering how you got there.
So instead of skipping meals or playing food police, make a deal with yourself: refuel regularly. Even something small but nutrient-balanced — like a delicious bar with carbs, protein, and healthy fats — keeps your blood sugar stable, your mood merry, and your decision-making power intact.
Because foggy-brained and “hangry” isn’t a holiday vibe.
The Importance of Protein for Holiday Wellness
Here’s the thing about holiday health advice: it loves to whisper “everything in moderation.” That sounds wise, but what does that mean when Grandma’s pouring eggnog and the cookie tray is on rotation?
Here’s a better mantra: optimize protein.
Just like Santa has helpers, your body has weight-health hormones that make it easier to resist temptations and eat better. Optimized protein — and digestion — helps you actually absorb and use the protein you consume, which in turn optimizes these hormones.
Protein also helps you stay satisfied, supports steady energy, and keeps your weight-health hormones — the ones that manage appetite, metabolism, and even mood — happy. Without enough protein when it needs it, your blood sugar rides the sleigh straight into Cravingsville.
The winning combo:
- Carbs: 15–30g
- Protein: 15–30g
- Fat: 5–15g
You don’t need to measure or memorize. Just aim for balance. If your “snack” is a sugary latte or a sad handful of pretzels, your body’s gonna call for a do-over.
That’s why I’m team protein snack for holidays — and why Perfect Bar is my go-to pit stop — before a party, on a flight, first thing in the morning preworkout …. It’s real food, packed with a better amount of quality protein, and sweet enough to feel like a treat without triggering a crash.
Perfect Bar is like my holiday wellness wingperson — the one who says, “I’ve got you,” not “You should’ve planned better.”
Bottom line: it fits in my bag and my plan. That’s a perfect gift I give myself.
Simple Tips for Healthy Holiday Eating
Here’s how:
- Fuel every 3 to 4 hours, starting within 2 hours of waking. Keep your energy steady and your cravings chill. Remember to count liquid nutrition, too —what’s in your coffee and what you grab to nosh on.
- Pack power pit stops. A Perfect Bar turns “oops, I skipped lunch” into “no problem." Having a deliciously doable pit stop avoids stress about what’s available.
- Balance your bites. Carbs (15–30g) + protein (15–30g) + fat (5–15g).
- Hydrate like it’s your job, because it is. Water and electrolytes help with digestion, energy, weight, health, hormone function, and sanity.
- Use the ‘Delicious to Me’ scale. Before you grab a holiday treat, pause and ask: “Is this a 9 or 10 for me?” If it’s a stale cookie or mystery fudge, pass. If it makes your taste buds sing carols? Savor every bite, guilt-free.
- Support your system. Digestion, hydration, and hormones matter more than macros.
- Get personal. Use this free weight-health hormone assessment to find out if your hormones are optimized or if there’s room to personalize healthy changes to help you have the happiest holiday season.
Ashley Koff, RD, is the founder of The Better Nutrition Program, author of Your Best Shot: The Personalized System for Optimal Weight Health — GLP-1 Shot or Not, and the mastermind behind the first-ever weight-health hormone assessment.
