Do you know that the average Thanksgiving dinner has over 2000 calories?
It can be a real challenge if you are watching your waistline. The following are some eating tips so that you can still look good and be healthy after the Thanksgiving dinner without having to deprive yourself.
Relax. Breathe. Give thanks. Prepare to receive. Hydrate first (no alcohol or soda) 15 minutes before eating.
Salad first: dark greens to fill 2Tblsp olive oil & vinegar dressing (no creamy thick dressing). Try coconut oil or natural flavored vinegar for a change!
Thanksgiving Guest
- Don’t go to the Thanksgiving dinner hungry: we often eat faster and more when we are hungry – therefore eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch on the day to avoid overeating at dinner time.
- Thanksgiving dinner is not an all-you-can-eat buffet: Fill your plate half with vegetables, one quarter with a lean meat and the rest with a starch of your choice. Eat slowly and stop when you are full.
- Turkey- go skinless: choose your 4-oz turkey portion skinless to slash away some fat and cholesterol. Save your appetite for the side dishes and desserts.
- Use smaller plates!
- Side Dishes – watch your portion size: go for smaller portions. This way you can sample all the different foods. Moderation is always the key.
- Make a conscious choice to limit high fat items: high fat food items can be found in fried and creamy dishes as well as cheese-
- filled casseroles in a traditional Thanksgiving meal . For instance, mashed potatoes are usually made with butter and milk; green bean casseroles are often prepared with cream of mushroom soup, cheese and milk and topped with fried onions; candied yams are loaded with cream, sugar and marshmallows. If you cannot control the ingredients that go in to a dish, simply limit yourself to a smaller helping size. Again moderation is the key.
- Drink plenty of water: alcohol and coffee can dehydrate your body. Drink calorie-free water to help fill up your stomach and keep you hydrated.
Thanksgiving Host
- Substitute high fat ingredients with lower-fat or fat-free ingredients. See the substitutions table below.
- LeftoverTurkey? Instead of turkey sandwiches, use the leftover turkey to make a pot of soup with fresh chunky vegetables. Also you can cook the entire carcass to make your broth!
- Experiment with new recipes: we did a search on Google and found numerous delicious yet healthy low-fat contemporary Thanksgiving recipes. Experiment!
Healthy Thanksgiving Recipe Substitution Tips
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Recipe calls for… |
Substitution |
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| 1 whole egg | people may tell you to use 2 egg whites instead but the whole egg is much better for you! | |||
| sour cream | low fat plain yogurt or low fat sour cream | |||
| milk | skim or 1% milk | |||
| ice cream | frozen yogurt | |||
| heavy cream (not for whipping) | 1:1 ratio of flour whisked into non fat milk (e.g. 1 cup of flour + 1 cup of non fat milk) | |||
| whipped cream | chilled evaporated skim milk
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| cheese | real cheese is better for you than the “low fat” kinds, just use less! |
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| butter | same goes with butter! |
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| cream of mushroom | fresh mushrooms are the way to go! |
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*Read all “Light” and “Fat Free” (etc) products carefully- WHOLE might be better for you!
*Don’t bother substituting sugar! Aspartame (now being called “Aminosweet”) is dangerous!
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