Harvest Your Wellness Challenge
The holiday season is a time to celebrate, connect, and enjoy your favorite traditions—and healthy eating can be part of it all!
Join LSU Health's Harvest Your Wellness Challenge, November 16–30, 2026, and discover how small, mindful food choices can make a big difference. Add more colorful vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to your meals, try healthier twists on Thanksgiving favorites, and explore simple ways to nourish your body without giving up the foods you love.
Throughout the two-week challenge, students, faculty, and staff are invited to make and track healthy food swaps or additions for a chance to win a prize. Explore the tips, ideas, and resources below for inspiration!
Remember: You don't have to choose between HEALTHY and HOLIDAY. Make room for both! 🎄🥦
Eat well. Celebrate fully. Feel good.
Ready to Join? Here’s How
- Get into the holiday spirit!
- Substitute, add, or reduce: Swap in healthy choices, add nutrient-rich foods, or trim down on unhealthier options.
- Record daily: Log your healthy changes and additions on the challenge form every day from November 16 to November 30, 2026.
- Submit by the deadline: Make sure your daily entries are submitted by Tuesday, December 1, 2026.
- Win Great Prizes: Participants who submit their healthy food choices daily throughout the 14-day challenge will be eligible for fun prizes.
How to win a prize
Participate in the Harvest Your Wellness Challenge by submitting the swap, addition, or reduction you made each day towards your goal of healthier food choices throughout the 14-day challenge period. Participants who complete all daily submissions will be entered into a drawing for a chance to receive one of six prizes sponsored by Campus Federal Credit Union.
Six participants will be randomly selected and notified via email. Selected participants may pick up their sponsored prizes the following week at the Campus Assistance Program office (HDC, Suite 233).
Tips for a balanced holiday challenge
- Pause & check in: Before eating, ask: “Am I hungry, or am I eating because the food is there?”
- Build a balanced plate: Aim for vegetables/fruit + protein + grains/starches.
- Add a veggie: Add vegetables to one meal.
- Add a fruit: Add fruit to breakfast/snacks.
- Hydrate: Drink an extra glass of water.
- Make a swap: Choose a vegetable-based alternative to a higher-carb side.
Take a post-meal walk: 10–15 minutes after a holiday meal. - Enjoy without guilt: Intentionally choose one holiday food you really love and enjoy it mindfully.
Healthier Food Swaps and Additions
From November 16 to November 30, look for opportunities to make mindful food swaps and additions/substitutions. There are no "perfect" additions/substitutions. The goal is to make intentional choices that move your meals in a healthier direction.
Clever Food Swaps
| Instead of ... | Try ... |
| Mashed potatoes | Mashed cauliflower or cauliflower-potato blend |
| White rice | Brown rice |
| White bread | Whole-wheat bread |
| Heavy mac & cheese | Broccoli mac & cheese / veggie-loaded mac & cheese |
| Traditional stuffing | Vegetable & herb stuffing with more vegetables, less bread |
| Chips & dip | Veggies + hummus/Greek-yogurt dip |
| Potato Chips | Air-popped popcorn, roasted chickpeas, kale chips |
| Heavy pasta salad | Mediterranean-style veggie pasta salad |
| French fries | Roasted sweet potato wedges |
| Creamy mashed potatoes | Carrot + sweet potato mash |
| Rice-heavy casserole | Cauliflower rice + vegetable casserole |
| Pizza-heavy lunch | Veggie-loaded flatbread or cauliflower-crust |
| Bread-heavy breakfast | Veggie egg muffins |
| Sour Cream / Mayonnaise | Plain (Greek) yogurt (non-fat or low-fat) or hummus |
| Candy & Milk Chocolate | Dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher) |
| Soda & Sugary Drinks | Sparkling water infused with fresh fruit slices, cucumber, or mint; unsweetened tea |
| Fried Fish or Chicken | Grilled or baked fish/chicken |
| Extra salt | Herbs and spices |
| Sugary desserts or snacks | Fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, grapefruit, watermelon, apples, ... |
Healthy Food Additions and Reductions
| Add ... | Reduce ... |
| Fresh or frozen berries into oatmeal, yogurt, cereal, or smoothies. | Added sugar in recipes, for example, sweet potato casserole. |
| A small salad with extra serving of vegetables. | Part of a recipe's butter with applesauce or pumpkin puree. |
| Vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, sprouts, and peppers) to a sandwich, soup, casserole, or pizza. | The amount of sugar-sweetened beverages consumed each day (soda, sweet tea, energy drinks, sports drinks). |
| More green beans to green bean casserole. | Portion sizes of desserts, such as cake, cookies, ice cream, or candy. The amount of butter or margarine spread on bread, rolls, pancakes, or vegetables. |
| Spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, or peppers to omelets and scrambled eggs. | The amount of salt added at the table before tasting food. |
| Carrot sticks, cucumber slices, bell pepper strips, or cherry tomatoes as a convenient grab-and-go snack. | The amount of high-fat toppings, such as bacon bits, cheese, sour cream, or creamy dressings. |
| Beans or legumes (black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, or lentils) to salads, soups, tacos, or rice dishes. | The number of times you order fried foods each week. |
| A piece of fruit (such as an apple, orange, banana, pear, or handful of grapes) as a snack or alongside a meal. | Late-night snacking, especially foods eaten out of habit rather than hunger. Portion sizes of highly processed snack foods, such as chips, crackers, and snack mixes. |
| A serving of whole grains such as oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, farro, or whole-grain crackers to a meal or snack. | The amount of high-calorie condiments and sauces, such as mayonnaise, ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, or flavored coffee creamers. |
| Sliced fruit (bananas, peaches, berries, or apples) to pancakes, waffles, toast, or peanut butter sandwiches. | Second helpings at meals by waiting 10 minutes before deciding if you are still hungry. |
Harvest Your Wellness - Challenge Form
Record and submit your daily healthy addition/substitution.
Explore Plant-Based Foods
Discover an extensive list of nutrient-rich vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, herbs, and spices to elevate your meals.
Thanksgiving Recipe Inspirations
Browse simple, healthy recipes designed to give your Thanksgiving meal a nutritious twist without sacrificing flavor.
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Build Your Holiday Plate
🥦 ½ plate: Vegetables + fruit
🍗 ¼ plate: Protein
🍠 ¼ plate: Grains/starches
❤️ + your favorite holiday food … leave room for joy!
The 3 Questions
Before reaching for food, ask: STOP. THINK. CHOOSE.
1. Am I hungry?
2. What would make this meal more balanced?
3. What food will actually make me feel good afterward?