Enjoy treats over the holidays (without overdoing it)

Restricting what you eat in anticipation of indulging later often leads to overeating and making less balanced choices. Consider eating balanced meals and snacks earlier to prevent overeating later.

Make physical activity a priority. Each week, adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity or a combination of both. If the holidays are busy, consider using that time to go on a family hike in the morning, a stroll on the beach or a walk in the neighborhood.

Build healthy holiday dishes by making health-forward swaps or substitutions and focusing on naturally occurring sugars from whole fruit and spices, such as cinnamon and nutmeg. Some possible options include:

• A banana snowman made with banana slices, mini dark chocolate chip morsels for the eyes and buttons, a strawberry sliced in half with a small grape on top as the hat, and pretzel sticks for the arms

• A holiday wreath made of red and green fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, grapes, peppers and cherry tomatoes

• Using half of a serving of hot chocolate powder made with low-fat milk or an unsweetened non-dairy alternative, such as soy or almond milk, and a sprinkle of cinnamon

• Halving the sugar content or substituting with fruit instead when baking cookies or pies — apple sauce, mashed bananas and dried fruit provide natural sweetness without the added sugars