Carrots Not Cookies for Santa

The days of Santa’s belly shaking like a bowl full of jelly are over, now that he’s gone vegetarian. To help Santa stay slim chimney after chimney, it’s time to revamp the old-fashioned “cookies and milk” into something more healthful. So if you are prepping a snack for Santa with your children, you may want to make your ingredients list and check it twice.

Developing good eating habits early in life can help children skip diabetes, obesity, and even heart disease later on. Just one Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie has 250 calories and 6 grams of saturated fat. If you leave even four cookies out for Santa, you’re giving him over 128 percent of his maximum saturated fat intake. (And since we all know that sometimes one of Santa’s “helpers” gets the cookies, you’re not doing him or her any favors either.) This is the perfect opportunity to start a new tradition. Gather the family and make some Super Raspberry Protein Brownies or a Masala Chai Apple Crisp. Share the Nutrition Rainbow and illustrate why certain foods are better for you than others. Explain that Santa’s got a long journey ahead of him, and you want to help him feel his best. For a simpler, quicker treat, try leaving a plate of hummus and carrots. Santa will appreciate the vitamin C boost for his immune system—and he can even share the carrots with Rudolph.

During the holiday season and beyond, take the time to cook with your children. Teach them about nutrition to set them up for a lifetime of health. They may not have “future good health and habits” on any of their birthday or holiday wish lists, but they’ll sure thank you for it in the years to come!