We all complain about an extra bulge around the holidays. With so many delicious meals and treats, it’s hard to resist. But parents can and should make sure their children are being healthy, even if they indulge a little. We asked Dietitian Allison Beck, RD, LDN, CNSD, for some tips. Here’s what she had to say:

Ahh, the holidays! A time for togetherness. A time for family. A time for stuffing yourself so full of goodies you nearly burst. Wait, what?!?

Okay, we know how difficult it is to keep kids healthy during the holidays. Between parties at school and home, not to mention candy canes at Santa’s village, they are literally surrounded by treats and sweets! But contrary to popular holiday folklore, the four food groups are NOT candy, candy corn, candy canes and syrup.  If you are a parent worried that your child’s health is going down the drain with each cookie he eats, there is some good news for you: it IS possible to let your little ones enjoy some of these treats and STILL have a nutritious diet.

Enjoy the color of the season: The holidays are full of bright colors and so is our food. For a fun holiday dish, take fresh broccoli florets and arrange them on a platter into a tree shape. Use grape tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, cauliflower and carrots to decorate your “Christmas tree.” Add some low-fat dressing to dip in, and you have a nutritious holiday appetizer both kids and adults can enjoy.

Set limits: It’s easy to indulge in a sea of sweets during the holidays because they only come once a year. But for kids, consistency matters all year round. Giving in more during the holidays can lead to struggles at the dinner table the rest of the year. Make it a rule early-on to establish a limit with your kids and be consistent with enforcing it.

Let them play elf in the kitchen: Kids take a lot of pride in what they create, even in the kitchen. Have them help you out when making a dish for the holidays. Younger kids can help rinse fruits and veggies, and older kids can help cut them up (just be sure to supervise them when using a knife). The smiles on their faces when the “masterpiece” is presented to the dinner table is a gift in itself.

Don’t play the skipping game: A typical behavior during the holidays is to skip meals in order to “save up” for a party or big dinner. This usually leads to weight gain and cranky kids. Keeping them on their regular routine will help to reign in overeating and hunger tamtrums.

Give it a holiday makeover: Many holiday favorites can be lightened up by simply switching some ingredients around. Try low-fat alternatives like skim milk, low-fat cheese, non-sugar sweeteners, fruit purees, egg whites and lean meats just to name a few.
Be a model: A role model that is! Kids like to mimic their parents, so make sure to set a good example by munching on healthier foods. Seeing mom or dad reach for the fresh fruit instead of the candy canes goes a long way.

Safe Kids Mid-South, led by Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, offers the top five tips for ensuring the toys you purchase this holiday season are safe.

1. Before shopping for toys, consider the child's age, interest and skill level. A fun, but inappropriate toy for a particular child can be dangerous.
2. Make sure toys intended for older children are stored separately from those for younger children.
3. Keep toys with small parts away from children younger than age 3. They can choke on small toys and toy parts. Check regularly for damage that could create small pieces that are choking hazards.
4. Make any necessary repairs immediately, or discard damaged toys out of the reach of children.
5. Actively supervise children when they are playing with riding toys as well as any toy that has small parts, magnets, electrical or battery power, cords and strings, wheels or any other potential hazard. Simply being in the same room as your child is not necessarily supervising. Active supervision means keeping the child in sight and in reach while paying undivided attention. Used toys should also be in good condition with all original parts and packaging, if possible.

To stay informed about potentially harmful products in the marketplace, parents should visit www.recalls.gov and sign up for email alerts on recalled children’s products. Safe Kids also advises parents to visit www.cpsc.gov to make sure the toy hasn’t been recalled for safety reasons.

This holiday season make sure the toys you buy your kids are safe. Many products and toys hold batteries that could be hazardous when in the possession of children. Read the information below from Safe Kids Mid-South.

FACT: The coin-sized batteries children swallow come from many devices, most often mini remote controls. Other places you may find them are singing greeting cards, watches, bathroom scales and flameless candles.
FACT: It takes as little as two hours to cause severe burns once a coin-sized lithium battery has been swallowed.
FACT: Once burning begins, damage can continue even after the battery is removed. Kids can still breathe with the coin lithium battery in their throat. It may not be obvious at first that something is wrong. Repairing the damage is painful and can require multiple surgeries.

Safe Kids Mid-South, led by Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, offers these top tips for battery safety:

• SEARCH your home, and any place your child goes, for gadgets that may contain coin lithium batteries.
• SECURE coin lithium battery-controlled devices out of sight and reach of children and keep loose batteries locked away.
• SHARE this life-saving information with caregivers, friends, family members and sitters.         

Keep the National Battery Ingestion Hotline number handy. It’s 202-625-3333 for additional treatment information.