Holidays, especially Thanksgiving, are marked by and celebrated with food. Some foods are often specifically eaten only during the holiday months, such as turkey and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, and Christmas cookies around Christmas, creating the appeal and excitement of eating them once a year.
Sweet foods like cookies and pies can be found at all parties and get-togethers during the holidays. Especially when seen as “off limits,” these sweets are enticing and often hard to say no to since they are only available once a year. All of a sudden being around so many sweet treats can be overwhelming for people who usually restrict themselves against sugary foods.
When a child grows up in a household that always has ice cream in the freezer, brownies in the oven, or a fully stocked candy jar, the child subconsciously learns how to eat intuitively. By sneaking into the kitchen for a cookie, causing the child to not be hungry for dinner, the child is taught the hard way that fueling up on sugar does not leave them satisfied or feeling well. While the stomach ache at the time is unpleasant, learning this at a young age sets the child up for success later on in life.
“Freshman 15” is a common saying that refers to the amount of weight gained during a student’s first year of college. While other factors like a decrease in exercise and an increase in stress play a part in this equation, a change in diet is the biggest factor in adding weight to a student. When a teenager grows up in a household that says no to all sweets, they do not learn the appropriate way to satisfy a craving.
Everything is best in moderation. High schoolers need to fuel their bodies wisely in order to make it through an eight-period day. Teenagers are constantly burning calories, sometimes to the point where their metabolism is going so fast it seems as if they can not get full. Being aware of what foods to eat limits stomach growling in class and sets a student up for academic success. Knowing how to get a chocolate fix while still fueling one’s body creates a healthy balance, therefore avoiding mindlessly picking up all of the holiday baked goods.
By living in a household where sweets are not seen as taboo, a person will not feel the need to “take advantage” of all of the magical holiday baked goods. Instead, a few cookies here and there create a healthy balance between treating oneself and eating a whole pack of Oreos simply because they are in the pantry.
