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The holiday season often brings joyful gatherings and delicious spreads. But if you’re managing Multiple Sclerosis, you know these events can also bring challenges. Not just with what to eat at the party, but how your choices before and after the event affect your energy, symptoms, and overall wellbeing.

As a nutrition coach and fellow MS warrior, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful food can be in either supporting or sabotaging our bodies, especially during the holidays.

So let’s talk about how to prepare for a party with intention, and how to recover well the next day.

Before the Party: Set Yourself Up for Success

A common strategy people use before parties is to skip meals so they can indulge guilt-free later. But this can actually do more harm than good. Skipping meals can throw your blood sugar out of balance, leading to fatigue, irritability, and cravings that make it harder to make mindful choices once you’re at the party.

Instead, try this simple plan:

1. Eat a protein-rich breakfast early.
Aim to eat within the first hour of waking. Protein helps to stabilize blood sugar and set the tone for the day. My go-to options include smoothies with coconut milk, collagen protein, and berries, or even leftovers from a previous dinner like chicken pot pie made with veggies and cauliflower mash.

2. Focus on veggies and protein at lunch.
I typically build a salad with leafy greens, avocado, carrots, tomato, celery, apple, and grilled chicken. This helps me get in a big serving of vegetables, feeds the good bacteria in my gut, and gives me clean energy without weighing me down. The fiber also helps keep digestion on track, which is extra helpful around party food that may be heavier than your norm.

3. Have a light meal or snack before the event.
Depending on the timing, I often eat something small before leaving the house. I want to enjoy the party, but I also want to feel good while I’m there and have options if there isn’t anything I can eat. A piece of chicken, a turkey jerky stick with an apple, or a small smoothie are all great choices. The goal is to stay balanced and steady, not stuffed.

Optional tip: I sometimes take digestive enzymes before the party to help my gut break down foods I don’t normally eat or that were prepared outside my kitchen.

After the Party: Support Recovery and Reset

The next morning, I focus on two key things: hydration and greens.

1. Hydrate well.
Water helps to flush out the body and can give you a natural energy boost. I often imagine it clearing out whatever my body didn’t love from the night before. It also helps to get digestion moving and reset my system.

2. Increase leafy greens.
Leafy greens are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They support cellular health, which helps with energy and mental clarity; two things that might be a little off after a big night out.

From there, I repeat a similar meal rhythm to the day before the party: protein at breakfast, veggies and protein at lunch, and a light, nutrient-dense dinner. This helps me get back into my normal routine quickly and without guilt.

The Bottom Line

When you plan ahead, you’re not only setting yourself up to enjoy the event, you’re also supporting your long-term health. Stable blood sugar levels, nutrient-dense meals, and hydration are powerful tools to help you feel your best before, during, and after a holiday party.

Eat well at home, so you have more flexibility when you’re out. And remember, it’s not about doing it perfectly. It’s about making thoughtful choices that align with how you want to feel.

Want More Encouragement Like This?
Tune into this week’s special episode of My MS Podcast: S2E9 What to Eat BEFORE + AFTER a Holiday Party

Listen now to My MS Podcast