When you’re trying to stick to 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 chocolates, decadent dinners and glasses of bubbly – can test your willpower.
So how can you enjoy the holiday 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 be real—eating out on Valentine’s Day usually means making a reservation weeks in advance, braving the crowds, and paying a lot for a set meal. Save yourself the headache, money and calories by cooking dinner at home.
2. Celebrate with fruit
Valentine’s Day usually means making everything from cupcakes to sweets to drinks dyed a festive shade of red or pink. Instead of using additives, inhale natural rose-colored foods like beets, strawberries, and raspberries.
A great option: Start your day with this Shakeology Valentine Strawberry Smoothie. It has 19 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber and probiotics.
3. Plan an Active Date Night
There are no rules that plan your Valentine’s Day HAVE to 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 desserts
Those chocolate samplers may also be the official symbol of Valentine’s Day, but if you’re trying to stick to a healthy eating plan, choose healthier Valentine’s Day candies — like low-sugar versions of your favorite candies , or homemade truffles made with unsweetened strawberries and coconut. Even better: Surprise your partner with a delicious fruit basket.
5. Watch your wine intake
Alcohol is usually full of empty calories, so if you’re going to drink sparkling red wine or are drinking red wine, keep your portions in check. Instead of filling your glass, measure out a five-ounce serving — and alternate between spirits and water or seltzer.
6. Stay on track with healthy food swaps
Whether you’re planning your Valentine’s Day party menu or whipping up a Valentine’s Day dessert for your sweetheart, some simple food substitutions can help you cut back on added sugar and empty calories. Try these:
- When baking, use sugar-free 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 yogurt with low-fat Greek yogurt—you’ll get less fat and more protein (about 3 grams per ounce of yogurt).
- Use mashed bananas as a substitute for butter in recipes. (Use a one-to-one ratio, but reduce your cooking time by 25 percent.)
- Substitute black beans or white beans for all-purpose flour in cookie, cupcake, or brownie recipes.
- Swap chips and crackers for spiced popcorn or roasted chickpeas.
7. Exchange gifts that support your goals
Instead of the usual cliche Valentine’s Day gifts, look for something that will help you achieve your fitness and nutrition goals—like some stylish activewear, a streaming workout subscription, or useful kitchen tools.
Sure, getting a vegetable spiralizer or pressure cooker for Valentine’s Day might seem like the least romantic gift idea ever. But think about it—while the roses will be wilting in a week, you’ll be making your favorite InstantPot recipes for years to come!
8. Choose the healthiest desserts
If you’ve been thinking about Valentine’s Day sweets since the first minute of February, you don’t have to skip sweets altogether. But break away from 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 Shakeology waffles.
9. Get creative with Valentine’s Day gifts for kids
Need to send kid-friendly treats for a class party? Think outside the usual sweets and send non-food goodies – like stickers, crayons or heart-shaped sunglasses. (Their teachers will thank you!)
10. Don’t forget to take care of yourself
Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating the people you love—and that list should include you! Be sure to incorporate some simple self-care routines into your Valentine’s Day plans, like starting a gratitude journal, scheduling a massage, or walking meditation.
