Healthful Holiday Snacking with UPMC Health Plan

By Maris Altieri RD, LMP Coordinator

Do you feel stressed out by the abundance of snacks and sweets this coming holiday season? Tune into our Holiday Snacking  webinar with the UPMC Health Plan. In this 30 minute class, we discuss how to navigate the sweets (guilt-free!)  through intuitive eating. 

Class Resources: Healthful Holidays Powerpoint, Brownie Batter Dip, UPMC Healthy Snacks Handout

Bonus Activity:

Mindful eating isn’t just about meditating with food, but it can be certainly part of your practice if that speaks to you. Trying out a mindful eating meditation can be a calming activity both kids and adults! I recommend doing it with this recording. Note: you can practice this exercise with any food. I personally like using dark chocolate because of the balance between sweet and bitter flavors and meltable texture. 

Mindful Eating Script

1. Holding: Take dark chocolate and hold it in the palm of your hand. Does it feel heavy or light?

2. Seeing: Take time to really focus on it; gaze at the dark chocolate with care and full attention. Think of how you would describe how it looks. Are the edges sharp or rounded? Is there a pattern on the surface?

3. Touching: Turn the dark chocolate over between your fingers, exploring its texture. Try it with your eyes closed. Does it feel smooth? Bumpy? Sticky or dry?

4. Smelling: Hold the dark chocolate beneath your nose. Does it smell different than you expected? Does the smell make you think of a fond memory or holiday?

5. Placing: Slowly bring the dark chocolate up to your lips. Gently place the dark chocolate in your mouth; without chewing, let the dark chocolate slowly melt in your mouth.

6. Tasting: Take one or two bites into the dark chocolate and notice what happens in the aftermath, experiencing any waves of taste as you continue chewing. Think of how you would explain the taste. Is it sweet? Bitter? Do you like the flavor?

7. Swallowing: When you swallow the chocolate, imagine it moving down into your stomach, and sense how your body as a whole is feeling after you have completed this exercise.