For me this year, I think I’m going to attempt avoiding needlessly sugary items around the winter holidays. Now, at first this may seem “easy” simply because most sugary items are desserts, and people my age aren’t that big on desserts (or maybe they are and I just haven’t noticed). But one thing to keep in mind is that sugar rules holidays. To ward off sugar around this holiday means to not participate in it as fully as you possibly could.

That doesn’t just come down to avoiding holiday cookies or pies. Oh no. That also extends to sweet tea and hot chocolate. It applies to morning coffees that taste oh so good with different sweeteners. And it means no late night snacking with the rest of the family on a lazy holiday evening.

Perhaps I’d be pushing it a bit too far to say I can’t have any of these. But keeping my intake to a minimum on these is still quite tough. I do have one saving grace, however, and that is my plant-based diet. Luckily, any time that I’m missing out on something sugary, I can have a bit of fruit. While such fruit would have natural sugars, they’re much better than processed sugars that will truly stick to your teeth and do a number on your dental health.

Just as well, a lot of my vegan recipes end up calling for more natural alternatives to sugar in baking recipes, too. Sometimes it’s more raw sugar, like brown sugar. Other times it’s agave nectar or apple sauce. And my favorite, especially around the holidays? Coconut flakes! You wouldn’t believe how tasty you could get your sugar cookies if you just swapped out the majority of the sugar with coconut. In my opinion, it tastes more natural and flavorful this way, so I look at it as a direct upgrade (or sidegrade). It’s definitely not a downgrade.

No matter what your diet or lifestyle may be like, I encourage you to look into consuming less sugar this holiday season for the sake of your overall health and your teeth.