The holidays are a busy time packed with festive meals, family commitments and additional gatherings. While the extra hustle and bustle can make maintaining healthy habits challenging, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. With a few simple tips, you can enjoy yourself in a balanced way this holiday season.

Stock Up on Healthy Ingredients: When you have healthy ingredients at home, it’s much easier to whip up better-for-you meals. Stock up on beans, grains, whole-grain pasta, and nuts and seeds along with frozen produce, so it’ll be easy to reach for and assemble healthy options.

Keep it Simple: Meals don’t have to be elaborate to be flavorful and healthy. With recipe-ready ingredients like pantry staples and dried herbs and spices, you can make simple meal solutions with loads of flavor. Plus, keeping things simple helps make nutritious eating effortless.

Make-Ahead Magic: Not only does meal prepping save you time and money, it also helps you eat healthier. Do a little prep work, like chopping produce, when you have extra time, or plan to prep meals in advance. Start by making our Mini Turkey Meatloaves and Chicken Parmesan Mini Meatloaves recipes ahead of time to bring healthy, perfectly portioned comforts to your table.

‘Tis the Season for Savings: Instead of costly whole cuts of meat that are popular during the holidays, turn to lean sources like ground meat. Good sources of protein, lean meats help stretch your grocery budget and offer versatility; add them to holiday favorites like meatloaf, chili, stuffed peppers, casseroles or meatballs.