Snacking is essential during the holidays.

That might sound puzzling with all of the sweets, cookies and desserts around you. We love everything the holidays has to offer too when it comes to the sweet taste of all the different chocolates and candies, but, snacking smart is more what we're aiming for here.

The holiday season is again upon us. The time where the importance of perfectly balanced nutrition plans seem to fade away. And how could they not? It's as though every room and every table has some assortment of festive colored candies. And where there isn't candy, there's someone offering a batch of freshly made cookies.“Have a bite” they say. “You can be healthy in the New Year” they say. How does one remain healthy and nutritious during a time like this? It all comes back to your preparation.

The key to snacking, and snacking smart, is it keeps us from eating more during the day when we do sit down for meals with friends and family and that means less calories consumed and keeping your nutrition more in check.

It is inevitable that you will end up eating unhealthy meals during the holiday season. It would just be cruel to deny your grandmother's homemade treats. The best thing one can do is accept what’s occurring and proceed with caution. Here are 7 tips for how to snack smart around the holidays.

Keep A Healthy Snack With You at All Times.

You’re going to find yourself getting a little hungrier than usual. Especially when you’re doing your holiday shopping. Whether you're waiting in lines, searching for parking, trying on sizes or comparing jillions of prices, you're going to get tired and hungry. You'll think to yourself, “wow, where better to go than the Food Court that is so conveniently placed in the center of the mall with chairs and food?” Wrong. Prepare for this moment. Bring a water and snack with you everywhere. Perhaps a ToYou Apple Pecan Bar?

Bring A Dish of Your Own

If you have the time, it's best to prepare a dish of your own for any Christmas party. This way, while everyone around you is eating and offering greasy courses, you’ll have a homebase dish to run to. You’ll know exactly what's in it and how much to consume without overdoing it.

Keep Away From The Munchies Table

During Christmas parties, you're going to have a lot of great conversations and you're going to have a lot of awkward ones. In either situation way, avoid being remotely close to the munchies area. If there's anything we do best during the holidays, it's grabbing handfuls of nearby snacks to chew on during a conversation.

Practice the Art of Regifting  

Bins filled with all sorts of treats tend to come flying your way over the holidays. And while there's nothing wrong with eating a few cookies here and there, those are going to quickly add up. You don't want to be wasteful and toss them out; so why not regift them to the person who gave you a candle last year? Or even better, bring them and a few leftover dishes to a nearby shelter.

Don’t Arrive to Anything on an Empty Stomach

If you know there isn't going to be a single healthy thing in sight at an event, eat before you leave the house. It's actually best to eat before showing up to all parties, otherwise you might find yourself overly snacking or using the excuse “Well, I didn't eat dinner today”.

Balance Your Plate

Take your time when selecting what food to fill your plate with. Buffets are the biggest danger zone you'll come across. Look at what your options are from a distance first, decide which look most appealing, then proceed towards the line. If you're worried you are going to go overboard on the portions, limit yourself by filling a side of your plate with veggies first.

Exercise