Pies and Christmas cookies beckon, Grandma’s homemade fudge is piled high, and all this comes on top of a heavy dinner of dressing, potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce.

If you think your stomach is straining to pop, stop and think for a moment about your children.

No mom or dad wants to play the Grinch and steal the kids’ holiday treats, but nutrition and obesity experts warn that holiday food traditions can set children on a path to lifetime health struggles if parents don’t apply a little discipline.

Dr. Dyan Hes, medical director of Gramercy Pediatrics in New York, who specializes in childhood obesity, suggests a middle approach, warning that just as adults put on holiday pounds, so can the children.

“I believe in moderation,” she says, advising parents that being too draconian can create an unhealthy relationship with food. “While I don’t condone bringing on desserts and candy, I also don’t recommend denying your child treats.” Instead, she urges setting limits, and she offers these tips:

First, teach portion control at the dessert table. If there are many choices, allow your child to choose her favorite, but not two or three different desserts. If the child wants to taste several delicacies, cut them into fractions and make sure they all equal no more than one serving.

Next, if you’re allowing dessert, draw the line at sugary drinks. Hot chocolate and eggnog are holiday staples, but on top of cakes and candy they’re too much. A 12-ounce hot chocolate with whipped cream can pack 400 calories and 40 grams of sugar. Some brands of eggnog can have 440 calories in an eight-ounce serving. “There is also a ton of sugar in fruit juice,” Hes says, reminding parents that both eating and drinking sugar packs a one-two punch.

Third, lead by example. If a parent uses the holidays as an excuse to overindulge, children will take the hint. Instead, use festive occasions as a touch point to teach healthier eating habits, Hes says. Load your plate with vegetables at dinner and have only a small dessert afterward.

Last, try to create healthier food traditions. Just because the holidays have always meant fat-heavy dinners and a ton of desserts doesn’t mean it must always be so. So for every traditional dish that’s heavy and fattening, like Aunt Kate’s cornbread dressing, plan a healthier version of another holiday favorite or a new, lighter dish that could become a tradition.

Here’s an example, a far lighter version of green bean casserole from the Mayo Clinic. It serves 10.

Ingredients
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon dried ground thyme
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup fresh whole-grain bread crumbs

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350 F.
  2. Heat a large skillet over low heat and add 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Add sliced onion and saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are golden. Remove onions from skillet and set aside.
  3. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil, chopped onion and garlic to skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add water and mushrooms, cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour and thyme over mixture and stir. Gradually stir in the milk. Increase heat to medium and stir constantly until the sauce thickens.
  4. To cook the green beans, boil for 8 to 10 minutes in water. (Or, to save time, cook the beans with 2 tablespoons of water, covered in the microwave on high for 5 minutes.)
  5. Drain beans and set aside. Spray a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray and place the green beans in the casserole. Pour the mushroom sauce over the green beans. Top with the sauteed onion slices and fresh bread crumbs. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.