Thanksgiving means gathering with family and friends and feasting on great food. We celebrate Thanksgiving by eating wonderful comfort foods. Trying not to overeat is always a challenge especially with all the high calorie and fat loaded dishes like potatoes, stuffing, breads, gravy and the infamous pumpkin pie. According to some research, the average Thanksgiving meal is a whopping 3,000 calories. Nibble your way through some leftovers, and you could be consuming more than 4,000 calories in one day! For most of us, that's twice as many calories as we should be eating on a daily basis.
There are a few ways of dealing with your ‘dinner approach’. One is you decide it is a special day that happens once a year, indulge and eat all of our favourite things. The other is to avoid celebrating with family, avoiding these foods altogether. Well, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing! You can enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner without having to deprive yourself. Just try and include healthier versions of the traditional favourites. Most recipes can be ‘made over’ by reducing fat, calories and sugars and increasing fibre and protein, boosting the nutritional values. Whether you are a guest at the event or the chef, here are some ideas to get you through the celebration not feeling stuffed like the turkey!
AS A 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.
• Bring a dish you know is healthy, a large colourful salad, or bake a healthier casserole. Not only will you be the thoughtful guest, you will be able to fill your plate leaving less room for high fat choices.
• 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.
• 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!
If you are the host or chef
• Substitute high fat ingredients with lower-fat or fat-free ingredients.
There are many ways to make your current recipe great tasting with less the calories and fat. Experiment with recipes. There are many websites that offer ideas to ‘makeover’ any recipe!
• Leftover Turkey does not need to be made into sandwiches, use the
leftover turkey to make a pot of soup with fresh chunky vegetables.
• Send guests home with the leftover foods that may tempt you. Take the extra pie pumpkin pie to a soup kitchen.
Focus on your family and friends during the holiday, and all of the other things you can be thankful for. "Remember to count your blessings this holiday season, and the changes you make today will keep you beautiful, inside and out, for the rest of the year." Happy Thanksgiving!
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