How do you have a healthy Thanksgiving dinner without stuffing yourself? Is this a vow you make and then break ever year? Why not make this year different? Wake up the day after the big dinner feeling proud of yourself!
The key is to go into the day with a plan and a strategy. Here are 10 tips to get you there. Do what works for you. Enjoy the holiday without overeating. It is possible.
How to Have a Healthy Thanksgiving Dinner: 10 Tips
From the fat-laden gravy to the creamy pumpkin pie, even looking at the Thanksgiving dinner table is enough to make you loosen your belt a few notches.
Then there’s the competition: Who’s going to get the turkey leg or lay claim to the most mashed potatoes? Who’s going to finish fast enough to be the first one back for seconds? I know I’m not the only one who has experienced a “get-your-hands-off-my-dinner-roll” moment during Thanksgiving.
Considering all of that, it’s no shock that the average American consumes about 4,500 calories and up to 229 grams of fat1 on Thanksgiving! So, how can you stop yourself from gaining more than a pound in a day? Here are 10 tips you can lean on for this holiday season, so the bird is the only one stuffed at the end of the day.
1. Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Start your day with a healthy breakfast, such as two eggs and whole-grain toast and a side of mixed greens, or any combination that’s high in protein and fiber. Add a protein shake and you’ll be less likely to inhale your plate at the main meal.
2. Don’t Go Overboard on Appetizers
It’s easy to consume 1,500 calories before the turkey even hits the table. Instead of skipping the baked brie altogether, fill most of your plate with vegetables and healthier choices, then leave just a little room for a taste of the indulgent snack. An average serving of dip or cheese is one ounce, roughly the size of your two thumbs.
3. Watch Your Portion Sizes
The average plate is 14 inches wide, and we tend to finish 98 percent of the food on our plate.4 No wonder it’s easy to eat too much on Thanksgiving. To trick your brain into thinking you’ve eaten enough, use a smaller plate and/or fill half a normal plate with salad. (Just go easy on the dressing.)
4. Enjoy Your Favorite Dishes
One of the best things about Thanksgiving is the memories and traditions of the day. Don’t stop yourself from enjoying your favorite dishes, but only have a small scoop of those that are less healthy. According to Brian Wansink, Ph.D., director of the Food and Brand Lab at the University of Illinois, it only takes four bites for your nostalgia of a food to reach its peak.
Another option is to practice mindfulness while you’re eating. Don’t munch mindlessly — slow down and really savor and enjoy what you’re eating. Don’t eat out of bags or bowls; put your food on a plate.
5. Try Some New, Healthier Recipes
Find recipes for healthier versions of your Thanksgiving favorites. From green bean casserole and cranberry relish to mashed potatoes and stuffing, all of it can be made with wholesome ingredients and less fat and sugar and still taste delicious.
6. Cook a Better Bird
Most Thanksgiving turkeys are about as succulent as woodchips; it’s no wonder we cover them up with gravy, cranberry sauce, or stuffing. Instead, find a recipe that results in a more flavorful turkey, or cook a different protein — ham, fish, or chicken — that you’ll enjoy on its own, and have only moderate portions of the heavy sides.
7. Get Everyone Involved
Take some of the pressure off yourself and ask guests to bring a healthy side dish or dessert. If you think they might be stumped, you could even provide them with a list of healthy side dishes they could make. Going to someone else’s home? Bring a healthy side dish of your own.
8. Go Easy on the Booze
Limit yourself to one drink before or during dinner and one drink after dinner. Drinking too much alcohol can increase your craving for salt and may set you up to eat 30 percent more than you intended.
Get tipsy at dinner and all your inhibitions will be down by the time dessert comes. Two pieces of pie, a couple of cookies, a scoop of ice cream later… and you’ll need a forklift to get you off the couch and a cab to take you home.
9. Forgive Yourself
Did you read this and still overeat? Don’t beat yourself up about it; it happened, now move on. Get up and encourage someone to take a walk with you. If it’s too cold for a walk, break out a game of Twister or try some calorie-burning yoga poses. Getting moving will ease some of your guilt and also start the digestion process.
10. Remember Why You’re There
Between the football game and your sister’s amazing pumpkin pie, take a moment to pause and reflect on what you’re thankful for this year. As tasty as the dishes are, nothing compares to the people we share them with.
Click here for more about a healthy Thanksgiving dinner.
