Activities That Don’t Involve Eating During the Holidays

Most holidays are full of friends, family, great food, and lots of great memories. However, these holidays could involve activities that are not always compatible with a healthy lifestyle. When the holiday season approaches, it is easy for you to forget about healthy eating and start eating out everything you find delicious.

Besides, all the festive parties around this time can wear you down and increase your health problems. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t participate in other healthy activities. There are several activities that don’t involve eating you can venture in during the holidays.

Board or Card Games

To start with, board or card games can be a great distraction during this time. Thankfully, there are board games for every skill level, age, and time constraint. Therefore, if you have a family get-together during the holidays, you can engage in card games for both children and the elderly. You can also decide to play an epic round of Risk with a close circle of friends during the holidays. Alternatively, you can participate in word nerds for a Scrabble-off or hold checker tournaments with the entire family.

If you are not into board games or don’t understand how they are played, you can consider several lists of other popular games. Depending on the number of players, age level, overall ranking, or time to play, you can sort these games. If you are hosting a holiday party, you can ask your guests to bring their favorite board games and start a conversation about how they discovered them. This will keep them off food and help control their eating habits during the holidays.

Wreath Decorating

You can also try wreath decorating. Instead of eating food most of the time, have people bring basic garland or wreaths and one pocket of fun art supplies. Participating in wreath decoration is one way of keeping people busy during the holidays. When the group gets together, you can exchange your decorations and learn from each other’s decorating skills.

Try Volunteering

Volunteering is another way you can enjoy your holiday without involving food. You can get a group of friends and head out into the community to spread the holiday cheer. You should register early if you want to volunteer with a charitable organization during the festive season. This is because such opportunities tend to fill up fast.

You are encouraged to offer a lending hand on less popular days when most slots are available in charitable missions. If you want to do it yourself, there are several ideas you can try. For instance, you can help the older adults in your community with grocery shopping. This will come in handy because the elderly often struggle to prepare or get healthy food. Therefore, you can take this opportunity to help them improve their diet.

There are also several ways you can participate in volunteering missions in your community. For example, you can shovel snow or rake leaves for those who struggle to do it themselves. You can also create and deliver gift cards for children inwards at your local hospital. This will go a long way in helping them cheer up. Alternatively, you can participate in a food drive or other valuables collection efforts with the intention of donating them to charity.

Snow Hiking

Snow hike is another fun way to enjoy the holidays without involving food. Contrary to what some people think, snow hiking isn’t just limited to summer — when there is snow on the ground. Instead, you can enjoy this fun activity from anywhere you are and during any season. Even a short walk through the neighborhood can feel magical at night, with all the decorations lighting up during the holidays.

If you are hosting a holiday party, you can all head out to a tree farm to pick up your Christmas trees together. Undoubtedly, kids will love this experience, especially on the farms that let you ride in a horse-drawn wagon. The resulting tree makes your living room festive and looks beautiful for the rest of the holidays. Such activities distract you from food and will help keep you active.

Participate in Tea Tasting

It is also a good idea to participate in tea tasting. While this is not necessary to avoid food consumption, tea testing comes with several health benefits. Tea is acceptable on any diet, and sipping it can brighten up your day instantly. If your guests bring a box of their favorite seasonal tea, there will be quite a lot for you to explore.

You could also get a wide range of packs from a specialty store and take turns tasting them. To make it more enjoyable, you can give your guests a fun notepad to record their impressions of each type of tea. This makes it possible for them to know which type of tea to buy in the future.

Ice Skating

Ice skating is another fun activity to try out during the holidays. Get the group together and head out to a local pond or rink. Sometimes, you will find special holiday-themed skate nights with carols and lights. This is a healthy way to get the whole family up and moving. If you have a partner, it is also a romantic way of spending the evening together.

It is also exciting to try out the love bomb. If there is anyone in your who could use a little TLC over the holiday, then you can act on it. The ideal candidates are those going through a tough time who feel overwhelmed by the annual holiday stress. Identify such people and plan a surprise “love bomb” for them. You can get a group of mutual friends and decide on something you can do to cheer them up. There is a lot of fun that comes with planning such kinds of group secrets. 

Time for Yourself

Doing good deeds to others will also make you feel good about yourself as well. However, in whatever you do, always ensure that you don’t accidentally create more work for the recipient. For example, don’t get them a surprise like a puppy that comes with several needs. Instead, find a gift that will help make their lives easier and doesn’t come with any needs whatsoever. This is because the inevitable time commitment might just be too much for such individuals.

Learn To Knit

You can also learn to knit during the holidays. If you know a knitter, ask if they are willing to help teach you and your friends. This is an ideal way to involve older relatives who might feel left out or isolated. Ask such relatives to show you how knitting is done and let them demonstrate. You can also ask your friends to show up with their own supplies, find a how-to book, and have fun learning on your own.

Learning new things as a group can be an ideal way to connect with others. It also gives you a chance to connect with the elderly people in society, making them feel valued and respected. You can also help cheer them up by getting them holiday gifts.

Engage in Physical Activities

Engaging in physical activities like going for morning runs will also help. There are several events on offer during the holidays. For instance, you can participate in a charity marathon to help keep your body fit.

Such events don’t involve eating food, and they also help your body in excellent condition. There are several options to choose from when it comes to physical games. Participating in on-field games like soccer or rugby will also help keep your body in good condition.

Conclusion

Therefore, if you are looking for healthy ways to spend your holiday, there is a wide range of options to choose from. Whether it is participating in board games or volunteering, there is a lot you can do that doesn’t involve eating.