As November shifts into full swing, cold weather and the season of back-to-back holidays quickly approaches. Not only does this mean joyous activities and festive light displays in the near future, but an overwhelming amount of sweet treats and delicious desserts are soon to come.

The constant presence of delectable temptations makes it more difficult to avoid the dreaded “freshman fifteen” for college freshmen, but for college sophomores, juniors, and seniors as well. However, it is entirely possibly to enjoy treats available this holiday season and to avoid unhealthy weight gain by making small and simple healthy choices.

A helpful first step for staying healthy during the holidays is to maintain a healthy mindset. Active.com says, “Instead of thinking about what you shouldn’t eat, promise to eat your 3 to 5 servings of vegetables each day.”

It is discouraging for any person to be constantly thinking about the foods they feel like they can only wish to eat. In reality, as long as you maintain a nutritious intake of food, treating yourself to a dessert here and there will not do much harm.

Another easy way to avoid the “freshman fifteen” during the holidays is to keep the festive treats away from your room. This way, there will not be temptations beyond what is available in Davison and the coffee shop.

CNN.com says, “…it helps to keep on hand yogurt, fruit, and granola bars with at least 2 to 3 grams of fiber per serving and no more than 10 grams of sugar.”

This way, you are still maintaining the nutrition you need while enjoying a yummy treat with a meal. By keeping candy and desserts away from your room, it’s easier to resist the temptation to indulge too heavily.

On the topic of eating meals, it is extremely important for people to never skip meals in order to lose weight. In an article written for US News and World Report, nutritionist Jenn Sokols Haas from the Nova Medical Group in Ashburn, Virgina spoke to this issue.

“Contrary to what you might think,” she said, “skipping meals doesn’t save you calories over the long haul because by the time you sit down to eat, you’re ravenous, which makes binging hard to avoid. What’s worse, your body, in starvation mode, may more readily sock away the calories you consume as fat instead of burning them.” Thankfully, there are always many options for all three daily meals at Davison and the coffee shop.

When eating a meal in the dining facilities at Saint A’s, there is a variety of easy choices you can make to help yourself stay healthy.

Choosing mustard over mayonnaise at the deli, water over soda at the fountain drink machines, and a fruit cup instead of a bag of chips by the registers are all simple and possible healthy choices you can make this holiday season to help avoid weight gain while indulging in the occasional festive dessert.