Have Your Say: Should I Serve Healthy Food for the Holidays?

Have Your Say is a regular feature in which we take a tricky culinary nutrition situation and pass it to our readers for their advice. This week, we received a question from a woman named Susan whose family is expecting the usual (read: unhealthy) fare this holiday season…

My husband and I have been healthy eaters for a while — we eat mostly plant-based and entirely gluten- and GMO-free. We typically go to my sister’s house for the holidays, and we usually just bring along a healthy dish to share that ends up serving as our full meal. Nobody seems to notice or mind, but this year we’re actually hosting!

I have a feeling my family is expecting the same dishes my sister usually makes — mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, gravy from a package and stuff like that. I don’t want to disappoint them or cause drama, but that’s not how we cook and it’s not how we eat. How can I keep the holiday spirit alive while still serving food that aligns with my beliefs? And should I give them some kind of warning beforehand?

– Susan, Midland

The holidays are an especially tricky time when it comes to healthy eating — even when we want to make the right choices, pressure from family members can make it more difficult than it needs to be.