Healthy Eating for the Holidays: Small Changes, Big Impact

The holidays are a time for celebration, togetherness, and plenty of delicious food. From festive dinners to sweet treats, it’s easy to indulge. But enjoying your favorite seasonal dishes doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your health goals. With a few mindful choices and support from your eternalHealth plan, you can savor the season while staying well.

Balance Your Plate

One of the simplest ways to eat healthier during the holidays is to build a balanced plate. Aim to fill half with colorful vegetables like roasted carrots, Brussels sprouts, or leafy greens. Add a quarter of lean protein such as turkey, chicken, or plant-based options and round it out with whole grains like brown rice or whole wheat stuffing.

If you’re shopping for ingredients, eternalHealth’s Healthy Grocery* benefit, available to qualifying members, helps make nutritious choices more affordable. Funds are loaded directly onto your eternalPlus Benefits Card, making it easy to stock up on fresh produce and wholesome staples at participating retailers like Stop & Shop, Walmart, and CVS.

Mind Your Portions

Holiday meals are often served buffet style, which makes it tempting to pile your plate high. Instead, try savoring smaller portions and truly enjoying each bite. You don’t have to skip dessert—just enjoy it mindfully. A few bites of pie or cake can satisfy your sweet tooth without sending your blood sugar soaring.

eternalHealth supports your wellness journey with tools like the Kaia Health app, which offers digital coaching and relaxation techniques to help you stay mindful and balanced even during busy holiday gatherings. And if you’re managing a chronic condition like diabetes or heart disease, the Care Management team is available to help you create a personalized plan that supports your nutrition and lifestyle goals.

Skip the Sugar Overload

Sugary drinks like soda, punch, and sweetened teas can sneak in extra calories and spike blood sugar. Opt for water, sparkling water with fruit slices, or unsweetened herbal teas to stay hydrated and refreshed.

eternalHealth’s Member Rewards Program encourages preventive care and healthy habits. By completing screenings and wellness exams, you can earn rewards that are added to your eternalPlus Benefits Card, giving you more flexibility to invest in your health.

Celebrate with Confidence

Healthy eating during the holidays doesn’t mean restriction—it means intention. By making small adjustments to your plate, your portions, and your beverage choices, you can enjoy the season while supporting your overall wellness.

eternalHealth is here to help you every step of the way. From grocery support and fitness programs to care coordination and digital health tools, your plan is designed to empower you to live well during the holidays and beyond.

So go ahead, enjoy that festive meal. Just remember: balance, moderation, and support make all the difference.

Need help or have questions?
Call 1 800 680 4568 (TTY 711)
October 1st to March 31st: 8 AM to 8 PM local time, seven days a week
April 1st to September 30th: 8 AM to 8 PM local time, Monday through Friday

*The benefit mentioned is part of a special supplemental program for the chronically ill. Qualifying conditions include cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, chronic and disabling mental health conditions, cancer, and ESRD. Having a listed condition does not guarantee eligibility.

Rewards expire at the end of the plan year and may be subject to applicable restrictions. Rewards are based on current eligibility status. eternalHealth may discontinue this program at any time. Consult with your doctor about the appropriateness of these services based on your risk factors and medical history.

eternalHealth is an HMO plan with a Medicare Contract for HMO, HMO POS and PPO offerings. Enrollment in eternalHealth depends on contract renewal. To enroll in an eternalHealth plan you must meet certain eligibility requirements and reside in the plan’s CMS approved service area. Benefits and cost sharing may vary by plan.

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Page Last Updated On: October 30, 2025
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Tida Garcia

Tida Garcia

Vice President of Contracting and Network Operations

Tida Garcia is Vice President of Network Operations for eternalHealth, where she oversees provider network operations including management of provider relationships and network performance. Tida brings extensive experience in provider claims, network adequacy strategy, and Medicare Advantage operations, along with deep expertise in delegated oversight.  She has led delegated oversight for large carriers including monitoring and performance management of delegated providers and entities, ensuring regulatory compliance operational integrity, and strong network performance.  Tida partners cross-functionally to support a scalable, high-quality care delivery model.   

Tom Lawless

Tom Lawless

Chief Financial Officer

Tom Lawless has spent the past 20+ years building, sustaining, and growing new healthcare-related programs that balance fiscal responsibility & prudence with creativity & innovation, focusing on models of care that are novel, person-centered, and improve the social welfare of those who are served. He is very excited to continue doing so in his role as the Chief Financial Officer of eternalHealth.

Tom comes to eternalHealth from a not-for-profit, member-centric, health insurance cooperative. He helped the company continuously strive toward its dual goals of thriving financially, while keeping members at the very epicenter of its mission and service model. While there, Tom also spearheaded the creation of a brand new private, charitable foundation, which will be meaningfully giving back to those in need in the surrounding communities for years to come. Previously, Tom worked in the finance department of a successful hospice that provided high-quality care to persons experiencing their unique and poignant end-of-life journeys, assuring that the appropriate financing was always available. Tom’s career began as a civil servant in the Wisconsin Medicaid program, where he helped to create a program that expanded the institutional entitlement to care into home and community-based settings. Starting with only a blueprint in hand, the program now serves more than 57,000 frail elders and disabled adults and is considered a national model. Growing into a senior leadership role, Tom was a key architect of an innovative financing model, through which the public and private sectors successfully collaborated to better the lives of persons in great need.

Tom holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Chicago, with additional graduate work in economics completed at the University Wisconsin-Madison.

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