Thanksgiving is really one of my favorite holidays. For me, it has all the perks of Christmas, without all the emphasis on presents. It’s really about spending time with friends and family over some good food and being grateful for all that we have.
But as we make our way into the holiday season, it’s easy to overindulge on tasty treats. Unfortunately, this isn’t normally a onetime deal. If you’re anything like me, I have multiple Thanksgiving gatherings, holiday parties, cookie exchanges, Christmas celebrations, and that big New Year’s dinner. Furthermore, on top of all the tasty sweets and big meals, there are lots of drinks to boot. All of this is a combination to pack on the pounds. Did you know that on average, a single Thanksgiving meal generally contains around 1600 calories?! That is a day’s worth of calories for many people.
To help myself and all my readers, I’ve compiled a list of Eight Trim Thanksgiving Tips to help keep you healthy this holiday season. Here you can find lots of ideas to make healthier choices to help prevent the holiday weight game.
Eight Trim Thanksgiving Tips
- Don’t Go Hungry: Having a balanced meal prior to your Thanksgiving dinner will help you make better choices at meal time. This way you can resist the urge to eat way too fast and way too much. Start your day with a balance breakfast consisting of complex carbohydrates, fiber, and protein. A great idea is to try a bowl of overnight oats.
- Try My Plate: Try to make your plate look like the USDA’s myPlate guide and fill your plate with half fruits and vegetables! A plate full of fruits and veggies will likely have less calories and increased nutrient content. Additionally, it will keep you fuller, longer. Check out the myPlate graphic below. I also provided an actual graphic that mimics a balanced Thanksgiving plate!
- Drink Water: Getting plenty of water will help to fill your stomach. Aim to get about eight glasses (or 64 ounces) throughout the day. Sipping water throughout the day will also help hydrate you if you plan to consume alcohol.
- Trim the Turkey: Turkey skin can be a source of extra calories. Remove any remaining skin on the turkey to eliminate unnecessary calories and fat fast! To reduce calories and fat further, opt for white meat turkey over dark. Small changes can big difference over time.
- Let’s Salad: If given the option, have a small salad with vinaigrette dressing to start off your Thanksgiving meal. It will help increase your fiber intake and fill you up. This will prevent you from overindulging on the main course or desserts.
- Healthy Swaps: In addition to the turkey substitute above, the following suggestions are great ways to reduce caloric intake. Try a slice of pumpkin pie in place of pecan pie for a 90 calorie savings. Choose fresh cranberries over cranberry sauce for a 186 calorie savings. Swap mashed potatoes for mashed butternut squash, a savings of 80 calories. Lastly, replace boxed stuffing with corn bread stuffing for an average of 133 calorie savings. Pair these swaps with skinless, turkey breast over turkey with skin for a meal with 517 less calories. Find my recipe for a lighter, delicious cornbread stuffing here.
- Get Stepping: Suggest going on a walk with family and friends following the big meal. Going on just a 30 minute walk can burn an extra 100-300 calories depending on your size.
- Enjoy Everything: Enjoy yourself! Have a small sample of everything. Instead of opting for a large scoop of everything, take a small spoonful. This way you get to try all of the tasty offerings without overindulging. If you are still hungry when your plate is clear, take a few sips of water and wait a couple of minutes. Finally, if the hunger persists, consider grabbing a few bites of your favorite selections for seconds.
What do you do to keep your holidays healthy? As always, I would love to hear from you!
