• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Health My Lifestyle
  • Meal Planner
  • Recipes
  • Learn
    • Nutrition
    • Lifestyle
  • Shop
    • Vegan Fat Loss Meal Plan
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • Meal Planner
  • Recipes
  • Learn
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start Here
    • Meal Planner
    • Recipes
    • Learn
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Learn » Lifestyle

    Plant-Based Holiday Survival Guide

    Nov 26, 2019 · Modified: Dec 13, 2020 by Rachel · This post may contain affiliate links.

    How to survive the holidays on a plant-based vegan diet to make it less stressful and more enjoyable? Follow this guide!

    Holidays can be stressful but they don't have to be any more than usual just because you're vegan! This guide will help you navigate holiday celebrations and parties as a vegan/plant-based eater. #veganholiday #vegan #plantbased #veganxmas #veganchristmas

    The holiday season brings a lot of fun, laughter, and new memories with friends and family, oh, and delicious, decadent food.

    With friendsgivings, holiday work parties, and white elephant gift exchanges on top of the regular events, there's no shortage of opportunity to eat, drink, and be merry.

    Trying to eat whole food plant-based can throw an obstacle into those plans and can take away from the joy if not prepared. In this case, it's necessary to prepare and have a plan so that you can take part in the fun but also stick to your plant-based lifestyle. That's why I've included some tips to help you stay on track but are also flexible enough to not exclude you from enjoying the holidays.

    Tips for sticking to a plant-based diet during the holidays

    Plat with tofu roast, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts and dinner rool
    1. Offer to bring a dish. If you're invited to an event and you know the host, offer to bring a dish (or several) that you know you'll be able to eat—that way it takes the stress off them. Here are several recipe ideas that you could bring. If it's a big work event, ask who's in charge of planning if they can request a dish from the caterer to be vegan friendly. My work was always so nice to accommodate at these events and some of the caterer's did an amazing job—even the dessert was vegan!
    2. Bring extra. If you want to stick 100% to whole food plant-based it's best to bring your own but undoubtedly people will be curious and want to try it. Make sure to bring extra so you have enough to eat but can also share. It's also a great way to lead by example and share this lifestyle with others who may be curious.
    3. Stay true to you. If you want to stick to it 100%, do it! Have a plan, stick to it, and enjoy it. There's always going to be people inquiring or not understanding, but it's your life and your choice, you don't have to explain anything. On the other side, if you'd rather be more relaxed with your eating and not stick to whole plant foods the whole time, that's ok too! Plant-based doctors agree that it's what you eat consistently that affects your overall health, so one day won't destroy your health or progress.

    How to eat healthy during the holidays

    Potluck style table set with salad and other dishes.

    I also put together some general tips for eating healthy during the holidays that go beyond just sticking to a whole food plant-based diet. These will help you stay on track with fitness goals but allow you to enjoy the holidays without worrying about overindulging.

    1. Don't skip meals. A lot of times we think we're saving calories for the big event by skipping meals, but in actuality, arriving hangry is a recipe for disaster as you'll be less likely to control your cravings and negate the calorie savings altogether from earlier. Instead, make sure your meals are fiber-packed and full of healthy plant proteins and fats throughout the day to help control cravings later.
    2. Assess all the options before putting anything on your plate. This allows you to take a second to decide what's actually worth eating. If they're aren't a lot of options that fit whole food plant-based, again, don't stress about being perfect.
    3. Salad first. There's typically always a salad or veggie platter served. Set a goal to eat those first, then go for the other stuff after so you at least get a good amount of fiber.

    You don't have to wait until the new year to start a healthy vegan diet. We have tons of mouthwatering plant-based recipes in the Health My Lifestyle Meal Planner that are perfect to make for the holidays—making it ridiculously easy to stick to a plant-based diet! No need to struggle through the holidays. Check it out today!

    Hope you found these tips helpful! It can be a challenge to navigate the holidays as a plant muncher, so just remember what's most important is who you're with, not what you eat. Happy Holidays!

    Share this:

    More Plant Based Lifestyle

    • Is Cool Whip Vegan? Ultimate Vegan Whipped Cream Guide
    • Is Ramen Vegan? Your Complete Guide
    • Best Coconut Vinegar Substitutes
    • The Best Coconut Sugar Substitutes and How to Use Them

    Did you grab your free meal plan yet?

    Sign up here to download it instantly!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    I'm Rachel and I'm here to help you transition to a healthy plant-based diet in the easiest way possible. I share simple recipes and tips you can implement today to make it practical and approachable. Read more about my plant-based journey

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    HML Favorites

    three healthy pita pizzas with lots of veggies and toppings

    Easy Pita Pizzas 3 Ways

    Coconut crusted vegan shrimp on a plate with lemon wedge.

    The Best Coconut Vegan Shrimp

    Fork holding a piece of marinated crispy air fried tempeh.

    Crispy Marinated Air Fryer Tempeh

    Collage of four vegan stews.

    30+ Best Vegan Stew Recipes

    Don't Miss Out!

    Sign up to receive recipes, tips, and more!

    Privacy Policy & Disclosure

    Top Recipes

    Homemade Pea Protein Powder (Easy + Vegan)

    Just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to whip these up. These bars are so easy to make, you'll never buy store-bought granola bars again. They are very filling, boasting 9g of protein using only whole food ingredients, and are vegan and gluten free! #granolabar #vegansnack #easysnack #vegan #glutenfree #healthysnack

    5-Ingredient No-Bake Granola Bars (Vegan + Gluten Free)

    Healthy Vegan Snickers Overnight Oats are going to have you wondering if you're eating breakfast or dessert. They're filling, delicious, high protein, and taste like candy! They're also gluten-free and sugar-free. #snickers #overnightoats #veganbreakfast #postworkoutsnack

    Vegan Snickers Overnight Oats

    This carrot bacon recipe is so easy and great for when you want the delicious sweet and smoky-ness of bacon! Just 8 simple ingredients, a peeler, and an oven or air-fryer is all you need. Vegan bacon can be made in many ways but this carrot bacon is one of the simplest and most similar looking to actual bacon. And did I mention delicious? #carrotbacon #veganbacon #plantbased #vegan #veganrecipe #veganbreakfast #plantbasedbreakfast #meatfree #meatlessmeals

    Carrot Bacon

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Enjoying these recipes?
    Now you can Buy Me a Coffee to help support the creation of new ones. Thank you!

    About

    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
    • Accessibility Policy
    • About

    Shop

    • My Favorites
    • Vegan Fat Loss Meal Plan & Nutrition Guide

    Stay Connected

    • Sign Up! for a free meal plan and updates
    • Contact
    • Meal Planner Support

      Featured In

      Logos of publications that Rachel from Health My Lifestyle has been featured in including Eat This Not That, Everyday Health, Greatist, MSN, My Fitness Pal, Vegan Life Magazine, and One Green Planet.

      As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

      Copyright © 2022 Health My Lifestyle LLC