When you’re trying to live a healthier lifestyle, the holidays can be a challenge and Valentine’s Day is no exception. All those Valentine’s Day treats, like candy hearts, boxes of chocolate, sumptuous dinners, and glasses of champagne, can test your willpower.
So how can you enjoy the festival of love without abandoning your healthy habits and fitness goals? Here are 10 simple tricks for a healthier Valentine’s Day.
1. Cook a romantic dinner at home
Let’s face it: Dining out on Valentine’s Day usually means making a reservation weeks in advance, braving the crowds, and paying too much for a prix fixe meal. Save headaches, cash and calories by cooking dinner at home.
2. Get festive with fruits
Valentine’s Day usually means making everything from cupcakes to candy to drinks dyed a festive shade of red or pink. Instead of using additives, get into the spirit with naturally pink foods like beets, strawberries, and raspberries.
A great option: start the day with this Strawberry Shakeology shake for Valentine’s Day. It has 19 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber and probiotics.
3. Plan an active date night
There are no rules in your Valentine’s Day plans. have include a quiet dinner and cuddles on the couch. Make Valentine’s Day healthier (and more fun!) with active date ideas: go for a walk, take an acro yoga class, try ax throwing, or go dancing.
4. Upgrade your V-Day candy
Those chocolate samples might also be the official symbol of Valentine’s Day, but if you’re trying to follow a healthy eating plan, opt for healthier sweets for Valentine’s Day, like low-sugar versions of your favorite candies or Homemade truffles made with strawberries and unsweetened coconut. Even better: surprise your partner with a delicious fruit basket.
5. Watch your wine consumption
Alcohol is often full of empty calories, so whether you’re toasting with champagne or sipping red wine, keep your portions in check. Instead of filling the glass, measure out a five-ounce serving and alternate between alcoholic beverages and water or seltzer.
6. Stay on track with healthy food swaps
Whether you’re planning your Galentine’s Day party menu or making a Valentine’s Day dessert for your sweetheart, a few simple food substitutions can help you cut down on added sugar and empty calories. Try these:
- When baking, use unsweetened applesauce instead of sugar. (You may need to reduce the amount of oil you use so the recipe is not watery.)
- For dip recipes, replace the sour cream with low-fat Greek yogurt; you’ll get less fat and more protein (about 3 grams per ounce of yogurt).
- Use mashed banana as a substitute for butter in recipes. (Use a one-to-one ratio, but reduce cooking time by 25 percent.)
- Substitute pureed black or white beans for all-purpose flour in cookie, cupcake, or brownie recipes.
- Swap out the chips and crackers for spiced popcorn or roasted chickpeas.
7. Exchange gifts that support your goals
Instead of the usual cliché Valentine’s Day gifts, order something that will help you reach your fitness and nutrition goals, like stylish activewear, a streaming training subscriptionor useful kitchen utensils.
Sure, buying a vegetable spiralizer or pressure cooker for Valentine’s Day may seem like the least romantic gift idea ever. But think about it: while roses will wilt in a week, you’ll be able to make your favorite InstantPot recipes for years to come!
8. Choose healthier desserts
If you’ve been thinking about Valentine’s Day desserts since the first minute of February, you don’t have to give up sweets completely. But stop using your usual pink confetti cupcakes and use V-Day as an excuse to try a healthier dessert recipe, like these chocolate dipped strawberries or red velvet waffles from Shakeology.
9. Get creative with Valentine’s Day gifts for kids
Need to send kids gifts for a classroom party? Think beyond the usual candy and instead send non-food gifts, like stickers, crayons, or heart-shaped sunglasses. (Their teachers will thank you!)
10. Don’t forget personal care
Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating the people you love, and that list should include you! Be sure to include some simple self-care routines in your Valentine’s Day plans, like starting a gratitude journal, scheduling a massage, or trying a walking meditation.
