The holidays are a time when families gather near and far to "Eat, Drink, and Be Merry." Does this sound too good to be true? Maybe, that's because it probably is. Let's be honest, the holidays can be a stressful time. It's not all candy canes, eggnog, and kisses under the mistletoe as the hallmark specials would like us to believe.

I don't know about you, but I love Thanksgiving. I get to see my family, eat some delicious food, and usually partake in a hand of cards. In an effort to make this holiday healthier, we are making adjustments to traditional recipes without compromising the taste.

Today, we'll give you the first three recipes for your healthified Thanksgiving: stuffing, cranberries, and dinner rolls.

If you walk into any grocery store around this time of year, you are bound to be assaulted by the ginormous, colorful bags of Halloween candy. But instead of dolling out bag after bag of artificial colors and flavors to the trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood, how about trying out a few of these healthier alternatives? I'm not suggesting handing out bunches of kale and flaxseeds—after all I don't want your house to get TPed—but there are ways to healthify even this most junky of holiday traditions while still maintaining the festive spirit.

If you have ever had the pleasure of playing Xbox Kinect, then you know how much fun the games can be. They can also provide functional exercise for those rainy (or soon to be snowy) days where you don't feel like leaving the house.

Here are a few of my favorite Kinect fitness games to get in my workout.

Whether you are packing sandwiches for your kids to eat in the cafeteria or heating up last night’s leftovers to eat in your cubicle, brown bagging it can be one of the best ways to make sure your healthy diet at home comes along with you wherever you go. Packing a healthy lunch can help you (and your kids) avoid the draw of all the unhealthy choices available for sale in the cafeteria and the local deli.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, it can be difficult for kids to get all the nutrients they need from just three meals a day. When you pack healthy snacks for your youngsters, you give them a better chance at getting all the vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber they need.

I recently started my Dietetic Internship and my first rotation is community nutrition. One of my first projects involved putting together materials to send to in-home childcare providers and after-school sites to help raise awareness about childhood obesity. 

The childhood obesity epidemic is something I’m very passionate about and it was one of the main reasons I decided to go back to school to become an RD. You should know, I’m all about passing along knowledge and resources to help educate people who can then take that knowledge and teach the children around them.

As the summer winds down, it’s time to start thinking about getting the kids ready for back-to-school—and I don’t just mean buying new school supplies and getting their new schedules because this is also a great time to focus on health and lifestyle fitness. Here are a few healthy tips to help your children transition back to school.