PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - This is National Start Eating Healthy Day, a project of the American Heart Association that sails into a heavy wind: holiday partying.

Thanksgiving lies ahead, also Chanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s, each a “dietary landmine” according to Dr. Janet Brill, nutritionist and author. The purpose of the day is to give all of us the tools we need to create a dietary plan and stick to it.

“The worst thing you can do is have the holiday mindset, where you’re celebrating and you just say, ‘I’ll just keep eating.’  If you have a plan before you go in, then you will have a healthy and happier holiday season and your heart will thank you on January 1st.”

Some of the coping advice is simple: eat breakfast and have a piece of fruit each day. Both fill you up so you can resist over-indulging in holiday goodies.

There’s a healthy cooking demonstration at noon today at the Comcast Center Marketplace.

For more information, visit www.heart.org/starteatinghealthyday

Reported by John Ostapkovich, KYW Newsradio 1060