I think we all would agree that the hardest part about the holidays when it comes to our health is the food.
It’s everywhere. Christmas parties. Snacks people bring to work.
And it’s in our traditions.
I have a list of all the things that our family used to make every year growing up. And I have continued making those traditional treats with my kids.
Not that we keep it all for ourselves – we definitely give away quite a bit to others – but what we don’t give away sits in the house and then you know what happens?
It gets eaten. By me. Yes, the others help, but it is really hard to resist things like pecan turtles, peanut butter balls, crescent cookies, dipped pretzels, molasses gingersnaps, iced cut-out cookies, peppernuts, and party mix.
Last year, I told my family each to pick their favorite thing and we would make a smaller batch of those few things.
But one thing led to another and we ended up making everything anyway. Just not all in one day like we usually do.
At the end of the season I just felt awful for having consumed all these sweets that I had worked so hard to break my cravings for.
This year, I haven’t made a thing. Chalk it up to busy-ness, my lack of energy and motivation, and the fact that I really don’t want it in the house at all.
The kids are asking, but I keep putting them off.
I kind of feel like if I would just allow myself to NOT make some (or all) stuff for one year, then it would be easier to not make everything every year. Because you know what is more powerful than the pull of food? The pull of tradition. It feels like I am breaking a tradition to not make all these sweets. It feels like I am not passing on the great memories of holiday baking with my mom and sisters to my kids.
But if I really think about it, I am making other traditions with them that don’t surround food. And the more I can steer them away from poor food choices, the better off they will be in the long run.
So maybe it isn’t such a bad idea to break this tradition.
I don’t really know. I haven’t landed on what I really think. I would love to hear from you – about your food traditions and whether or not you struggle with these issues.