Healing Your Relationship with Food During the Holidays: A Therapist’s 5 Best Tips
The Holidays Don’t Have to Be a Food Fight
If you’re in recovery from an eating disorder or working to heal your relationship with food, the holidays can feel complicated. Everywhere you turn, there are messages about “saving up for the big meal,” “earning dessert,” or “starting fresh in January.”
But what if this season could look different?
What if you could enjoy your favorite foods, feel connected to loved ones, and protect your peace, without guilt or shame?
As a therapist who helps clients find food freedom through a weight-inclusive, anti-diet lens, I know that it is possible. Here are five ways to move through the holidays with more trust, compassion, and calm.
1. Ditch the “All-or-Nothing” Thinking
Diet culture loves extremes: you’re either “being good” or “being bad.” This mindset keeps you trapped in guilt and makes it hard to stay connected to your body’s actual needs.
Try this: Give yourself permission to eat a wide variety of foods, including those that feel special or nostalgic. You’re not “cheating” on your recovery by enjoying holiday foods; you’re practicing flexibility, which is an important part of healing.
2. Create a Grounding Plan for Stressful Situations
Holidays often come with big emotions: family dynamics, travel stress, and social pressure. All of this can make it harder to stay present with your body and your hunger cues.
Try this:
Before heading to a gathering, check in with yourself:
Have I eaten enough today?
What coping tools help me feel safe when I’m anxious (e.g., deep breathing, stepping outside, texting a friend)?
How can I build in moments of rest before or after?
Grounding doesn’t have to be another thing to add to your to-do list, it’s about creating a sense of safety in quick moments so you can show up as your full self.
3. Set Boundaries Around Body or Food Talk
It’s okay to opt out of conversations that make you uncomfortable. Whether it’s a relative commenting on your plate or someone talking about their latest diet, you don’t owe anyone a response that costs you your peace.
Try this:
Prepare a few phrases ahead of time, like:
“I’m focusing on enjoying the food and company right now.”
“Let’s talk about something more fun, do you have any upcoming travel plans?”
“I’m working on healing my relationship with food, and I’d rather not discuss diets.”
Your boundaries protect your recovery and that’s something to be proud of.
4. Make Gentle Meals and Snacks a Priority
Skipping meals to “save up” for a holiday dinner only makes it harder to eat mindfully later on. Your body needs consistent nourishment to regulate hunger, energy, and mood.
Try this:
Eat balanced meals and snacks throughout the day, including breakfast on holidays. This keeps blood sugar steady and helps you arrive at celebrations feeling calm, not deprived or frantic around food.
5. Remember That Satisfaction Is a Form of Nourishment
Food is more than fuel, it’s connection, memory, and joy. Allowing yourself to feel satisfied can actually help you tune into your body, not out of it.
Try this:
When you eat, slow down for a few moments and notice what feels comforting or enjoyable about the experience?The smell, the taste, the conversation. Satisfaction is a key part of intuitive eating and a powerful tool for body trust.
You Deserve Joy, Not Guilt, This Season
Healing your relationship with food doesn’t mean you’ll never feel uncomfortable or triggered, especially during the holidays. But each time you practice curiosity, compassion, and permission, you strengthen the foundation of your recovery.
You are allowed to savor the season. You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to enjoy food simply because you’re human.
Ready to Feel More Peace Around Food?
Download my free guide, 5 Day Kickstart to Food Freedom and start learning how to break free from food guilt, not just for the holidays, but for good.
Contact me to schedule a free 15 minute consultation to see if we would be a good fit to work together.