Supporting Healthy Nutrition Habits During Holidays and Travel: Tips for Coaches

The holiday season and travel can easily derail a client’s health progress without strategies to manage inevitable challenges. As a health and wellness professional, offering practical, actionable strategies can empower clients to stay on track with their health goals while still enjoying the season. In this article, we review common challenges people face during the holiday season and while traveling, and solutions you can offer to help clients.

Healthy Holidays

The time between late November and the new year is often a time of indulgence – enjoying large, festive meals, parties, and sweet treats. All of this comes amid one of the busiest times of the year, making it easy to put health on the back burner. It’s important to provide strategies in advance of when clients need them, so they have the tools to stay on track. 

Holiday Treat Mindset

People often fall into one of two mindsets about holiday treats: (1) It’s ok to over-indulge during the holidays. I’ll focus back on health in the new year; or (2) I can’t enjoy any treats. Treats will derail my health progress. 

Neither is a healthy mindset. We want people to make healthier choices during the holidays, but it’s also important to be able to enjoy the foods you love in a healthy way. 

Strategies: 

• Enjoy holiday treats in moderation, but do it in a smarter way. Suggest strategies like filling up on whole, nutrient-dense foods first to reduce the impact of sugary treats on blood sugar and reduce the urge to over-indulge (a.k.a. eat your vegetables and protein first!). 
• Share recipes or ingredient swaps for better-for-you holiday treats that reduce total sugar or make a healthier classic treat in a fun, creative way.

Social Gatherings

Social events often mean an abundance of foods, drinks, and peer pressure to partake. 

Strategies: 

• Encourage clients to bring a healthy dish to share, ensuring they have at least one nutritious option. 
• Suggest filling half their plate with vegetables and proteins and eating this before sampling smaller portions of richer foods. Simple visual cues like this can help remind them of a nutrient-dense, whole-foods-first approach.
• Help clients set implementation intentions. These are generally “if-then” plans that pre-establish what behavior they should initiate in a challenging situation to keep them on track with their goals. First, identify situations your clients know they struggle with. Then, have them set implementation intentions around that situation. Here’s an example: “If I feel pressured by someone to eat or drink more than I want, then I will smile and say, “Thank you, but I’m already feeling satisfied!” Numerous scientific studies show this behavioral approach helps people overcome challenges and increases success rates of achieving goals. 
• Promote mindfulness, suggesting clients slow down, savor the flavors, and check in with themselves. Here’s an example: “When you decide to have a holiday treat, take the time to taste and enjoy each bite. Take a moment after a few bites to note see how satisfied you feel. You might find a small portion satisfies your craving.”

Traveling Smart

We all know how easily travel can throw you off your health game. Getting out of our normal routines makes it harder to keep up healthy habits. Here are some strategies you can share with clients to reduce the impact of travel on their healthy routine. 

Strategies:

• Help clients with recommendations for shelf-stable, nutrient-dense foods and snacks they can bring with them such as protein bars, walnuts or almonds, protein powder, nut butter single-serves, and fruits and vegetables (domestic travel only) that travel well like apples, clementines, and baby carrots.
• Guide clients on how to make healthier choices at fast food and standard restaurants. Encourage them to look for grilled, roasted, or baked options with plenty of protein and vegetables; request dressings and sauces on the side and/or opt for a vinegarette style dressing.
• Educate clients on hydration. Travel often leads to dehydration, which can be mistaken for hunger. Remind clients to carry a refillable water bottle and aim to drink consistently throughout the day. 
• Travel can increase anxiety, which can lead to turning to old, food-centric coping habits. Helping clients to set implementation intentions as described above can help them recognize these situations and be better prepared to conquer them.

Final Thoughts

The holidays and travel don’t have to derail healthy habits. By equipping clients with practical strategies and reframing techniques, you can help them approach these situations with confidence and a focus on balance. Remind them that progress isn’t about perfection – it’s about making small, consistent choices that align with their goals. 

As a coach, your guidance can turn these challenges into opportunities for growth and success – teaching them life-long strategies to support health during the holidays and travel.

About Erin Glynn, PhD
Dr. Glynn is an expert in metabolism, exercise physiology, weight management, and metabolic disease, with over 30 published research articles in these fields. After a decade conducting academic research in these areas, Erin transitioned to researching and developing dietary supplements and health programs – leading a global R&D team of nutrition scientists. In 2023, she left the corporate world to found Nuchi Health – a company with a mission to provide credible, no-hype nutrition, health, and wellness education for consumers and health practitioners. Dr. Glynn hosts the Nuchi Health Podcast and serves in leadership and advisory roles for the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) and Unicity International.