Turkey Day Tips

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought some tips on maintaining a healthy balance during the upcoming holiday feast were in order.  Did you know most Thanksgiving dinners are more than 2,000 calories?  That is a day’s worth of calories for some people. How to enjoy the festivities without gaining a couple extra pounds? 

Be Prepared with a Plan- 

• Eat breakfast that morning.  If you starve yourself all day, most likely you will be ravenous and end up consuming more calories at the Thanksgiving meal than you intended on. 
• Stay focused on your healthy goals.  If you overdo it at lunch, get back on track for dinner.  Put lunch behind you and make better choices at the next meal. 
• Have the right attitude.  Instead of thinking you’ll entirely blow your healthy eating for the day, think I’ll have a little bit of my favorite foods.  It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
• Consider tweaking recipes to make them a little healthier.  Every year, I make a low fat pumpkin pie.  I often receive remarks like… “This doesn’t taste bad at all.  It actually is really good.”  “Are you sure this is low fat?”  In addition to my low fat pumpkin pie, I am considering bringing pomegranate seeds which were a huge hit at my family’s Christmas gathering last year.  I love introducing new, healthy foods to people!

Moderation with Mindful Eating- 

• Paying attention to serving sizes.  Consider using smaller plates or smaller serving utensils.
• Choose foods that are only available to you during the holidays such as grandma’s oyster dressing instead of baked macaroni and cheese which you may have several times a year.   
• Balance richer, more calorically dense foods with lean meats and vegetables. 
• Slow down and truly enjoy and savor the food that you and your family have prepared.  
• Hold off on seconds right away… chances are you will realize you aren’t that hungry.
• Watch for liquid calories.  You may want to try alternating water with alcohol beverages.
• After eating, stay active by playing with nieces and nephews or by helping clean up instead of settling into a food coma on the couch.

Most importantly, remember what the holiday is all about – being thankful!

What are your plans for Thanksgiving?  Have you found any healthy recipes to cook for your family? 

Kasey