Bringing the family together around the dinner table is a huge part of the holidays. However, all of the sweet potato pies, turkeys, pop, and everything else can really add up!

Julie Fromm, Registered Dietitian of Henry Ford Health System’s Generation with Promise dishes out some super easy tips for healthy eating during the holidays. (TIP: all of the tips are bolded below and attached as a printable!)

SPECIAL TREAT: You have  to try her delicious, really simple, recipe for Roasted Sweet Potatoes below!

JULIE: Easy ways to add more vegetables to your meals are to try to include a salad at lunch and dinner meals, [a salad] that has more than just lettuce in it.

Try adding some grape tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded carrots. Carrots are always readily available and adding them your salad can increase the nutrition content.

Keep vegetables easily accessible. Try keeping either fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables in your refrigerator and cabinets. Having any type of vegetables in your food is better than not having them at all.

During the holidays, overeating is a common problem. With the abundance of food available like turkey, potatoes, and  pies, eating large quantities may seem easy, but it can be detrimental to your health. All of those things are not completely bad, but just eat them in moderation.

Enjoy that slice of pumpkin pie and dark meat turkey, but just eat them in moderation. 

Also, remember to use the USDA [United States Department of Agriculture] My Plate when it comes to serving yourself food.

Half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables. So fill it up with salad, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, and any other type of vegetable. Remember, protein portions should only fill up a quarter of your plate.  

Another way to control your calorie intake is through your beverage intake: make water your standard, go-to meal beverage. Try to avoid soda and juices. Instead of drinking juice or other sweet drinks, enjoy a bit of cranberry sauce or a piece of fruit.

Keep water on the table as the standard beverage. This can help you control the calories around the holiday meals.

For more ideas on how to eat healthy check out

• Nutrition Facts and Serving Size
• Eating Right for Your Body
• Feeding Your Body Right 

Healthy Holiday Side Dish

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, about 1 ½ pounds
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Scrub the potatoes but don’t peel. Poke holes in each of the potatoes using a fork/knife and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet/baking dish.
3. Bake potatoes for 1-1½ hours until tender.
4. Stir together honey and yogurt.
5. Potatoes can be served in their skins, topped with sweetened yogurt and pumpkin seeds OR mashed flesh with yogurt and serve topped with pepitas.

Makes 4 servings -per serving: 195 calories

4 gm fat, 37 gm carbohydrate (4 gm fiber), 5 gm protein, excellent source of Vitamins A and C, 10% daily value for iron