Healthy habits and the holiday season: Tips for families to navigate eating, physical activity and sleep

December 24, 2025 – 8:00 AM

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As registered dietitians and

family health researchers

, we have conducted studies on family health and learned a number of effective strategies that can help your family create healthy habits. Here are our three top tips to help your family maintain healthy eating, physical activity and sleep habits while still enjoying everything this special season has to offer.

1. Make meals a family affair

Hectic schedules during the holidays can make it feel almost impossible to find time to cook and sit down for a family meal. However, during the holiday season, when there are many chances to snack on cookies and candies, making time to sit down for at least one family meal a day is key. This simple habit helps your family maintain

healthier eating patterns

gives everyone a valuable chance to connect

Remember, the family meal doesn’t have to happen at dinner time. Work around your holiday schedule; if breakfast together works best, that’s great.

trying the food

they create and may

reduce picky eating.

For ideas on simple, family-friendly recipes with tips for involving kids, check out the series of

free cookbooks developed by researchers at the Guelph Family Health Study

2. Find moments to move, play and unplug

Get outside!

Children who spend more time outside are more physically active

. Spending time in nature also

supports brain development and helps kids relax

Plan a family hike, go skating and sledding; walk to nearby events and through your neighbourhood to enjoy holiday lights. These brief opportunities for movement add up!

When it’s time to come inside to warm up, have a plan for screen time. Children spend less time in front of screens when their parents

set screen time limits

Keep meals screen-free

. Turn off the TV and put phones and tablets in a designated place away from where you eat.

Setting screen limits doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favourite holiday movies. Purposeful, time-limited screen use has its benefits. In fact,

co-viewing movies or TV together has been associated with many cognitive benefits for kids

. Asking content-related “what if” and “why” questions can help develop vocabulary and critical thinking.

3. Balance festivities with family sleep routines

A good night’s sleep can help everyone, parents included, make the most of the holiday season. Children with sufficient sleep report

less stress and hyperactivity, and better physical and mental health

. Depending on their age, children and adolescents need between

eight and 17 hours of sleep per day

, while

adults need seven to nine hours of sleep

. Research shows that

one in four children

are not getting enough sleep.

Between festivities, keeping a

consistent bedtime routine

can help your children get enough sleep. Make time to unwind from a busy day with

calm, screen-free activities

such as reading a book before going to bed.

Maintaining a

consistent bedtime routine

few-minutes warning

” can help them navigate their emotions when it’s time to stop a fun activity to get ready for bed. Children who are more sensitive to change may need extra closeness with their parents to

feel safe and fall asleep

in a new environment.

We hope these simple routines can help your family connect, slow down and find joy even during the busiest days of the holidays.

Holly Noelle Schaafsma

, Postdoctoral Research Fellow,

University of Guelph

Jess Haines

, Associate Professor of Applied Nutrition, Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition,

University of Guelph

Kathryn Walton

, Assistant Professor of Applied Nutrition & Registered Dietitian,

University of Guelph

, and

Raphaëlle Jacob

, Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition,

University of Guelph.

The Conversation

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