3 Tips to Handle Unhelpful Food Conversations During The Holidays

Happy Thanksgiving from ATX Nutritional Counseling! We are so thankful for all our amazing clients and families that have made this year so special. Thank you for trusting us to walk alongside you in your journey to heal your relationship with food.

Now that the holidays are upon us, this time of year can bring a lot of positive experiences such as time with family and friends, fun traditions, and holiday meals, but it can also bring anxiety and stress especially when it comes to food. With holiday meals, there are a ton of opportunities for family members to make negative comments about the food.

You know the aunt who insists on saying how “bad” she’s being today for eating carbs or the grandparent who loves to comment on how much everyone else is eating. Not only can these comments be triggering for anyone working on healing their relationship with food, but it puts a damper on what should be a fun and enjoyable experience.  Who wants to have a side of guilt and shame with their Thanksgiving turkey?? Not me! Sadly, we cannot fully avoid these comments, so instead, here are a few tips to help navigate these difficult and awkward comments.

1. Walk Away: You have permission to leave a conversation if you feel uncomfortable. You can simply excuse yourself and go outside to get some fresh air or join another conversation.

2. Change the Subject: If someone starts making negative food comments, you do not have to validate it with a response and can instead bring up a more appropriate conversation for the dinner table.  

3. State a Boundary: You can clearly state your boundary by saying something such as, “I would prefer not to discuss diets or weight,” or “I would prefer not to have negative talk around food, it makes it difficult to be present and enjoy the meal.”