Piece o' Pumpkin Pie: 10 Tips for Tackling Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is less than a week away and all around me people are starting to put their holiday plans into action, heading out of town and picking up their groceries for the big meal. The long holiday weekend and going back home can mean slipping back into old habits, for better or worse, but spoiling all the work you've done for your body and health doesn't have to be a requirement of Thanksgiving Day. In fact, it's a great time to practice enjoying yourself while still maintaining your healthy habits. You should absolutely enjoy the foods you have been waiting for all year long but that doesn't mean you need to end up feeling bloated & regretful a week from now! So, let's check out some of my tips for Turkey Day. 


1. Eat your regularly scheduled meals. Some people will skip breakfast and lunch on Thanksgiving Day, in order to save up their calories for the big meal. But this strategy can lead to major overeating. Instead of starving yourself, eat at your regular mealtimes, even if you opt for something smaller and lighter than usual. Also, if the evening's meal is being prepared in your home, be mindful of how much grazing you are doing during the day. Taking "just a taste," here and there, multiple times through the course of the day, can really add up.

2. Make a healthy swap. Try substituting whole wheat flour for half the flour in your baked goods recipes. Go for baked or multigrain chips. Use plain lowfat or fat free Greek yogurt in place of sour cream or mayonnaise. Try evaporated milk in place of heavy cream.

3. Make your mealtime game plan. When I arrive to a dinner party or holiday meal, I make a mental note of everything that is being served and I think about what I will be eating that night. I decide which foods I can do without (I don't need to try the Turkey AND the roast AND the beef lasagna) and which foods are a no-compromise zone (a spoonful of marshmallow covered sweet potatoes is definitely going on my plate). Pre-planning your plate helps prevent mindless eating because when the dishes are being passed around you are more likely to serve yourself only from those you had already decided on instead of eating from every single dish.

4. Fill up on vegetables. The holidays are a great time to practice filling half your plate with fruits & vegetables. Fill a quarter of your plate with a protein (e.g., turkey) and another quarter with your choice of starch or grain (e.g., stuffing, potatoes, rice). Fill up the rest of your plate with your favorite fruits & vegetables being served. I like to load up on salad, broccoli & mushroom caps.  

5. Sip smart. Remember that the recommended daily limit of alcohol is one drink for women and two for men. Water or unsweetened coffee or tea are usually your best options. If you tend to lean toward juices and sweetened beverages, try diluting with any carbonated water (soda water, seltzer). 

6. Enjoy dessert - - but mind your portion. We've all either seen it or have been there ourselves. Someone announces they won't be partaking in dessert and then proceeds to take a "taste" and a "bite" from every one of the many treats on offer. If this is likely to happen to you, you may find that a more successful strategy may be to serve yourself a small slice of pie or a scoop of ice cream, on a small dish, with a small spoon, and slowly savor the treat. If you allow yourself to feel like you have taken part of the dessert experience, you may be less likely to feel compelled to sample from every cake and cookie at the table.

7. Get rid of your plate. Once you are done with your meal, excuse yourself to clear your own place setting from the table. If you feel uncomfortable doing this while everyone is still sitting and talking with their plates before them, but you are worried you will feel compelled to take seconds and thirds, choose to refill your plate with seconds of salad and vegetables. You can also fill up on your smart beverage (Tip #5). 

8. Keep yourself entertained. Before and after the meal, prevent yourself from mindless grazing by keeping yourself physically distracted. Play board games or head outside for a game of football. My family often ends an evening with Zumba DVDs or a Just Dance competition on the Wii. My nieces and nephew have a blast dancing the night away!

9. Strategize leftovers. Just as with Halloween candy, Thanksgiving leftovers can mean eating extra calories long past the actual holiday. If you are hosting Thanksgiving, consider giving away much of that leftover dessert and those treat items (like those marshmallow sweet potatoes I love). On the flip side, if you are the one taking leftovers home, this can be an opportunity to stock up on some of the more healthful items. I like to take home a lot of skinless turkey meat, plain sweet potatoes and just a little homemade cranberry sauce for post-Thanksgiving panini! 

10. Fit fitness into the long holiday weekend. Bring some balance to this fun and indulgent time by making room for some physical activity. It can be something as simple as going for a brisk walk in the fresh air. If you are reuniting with friends and family, a group workout can be a great bonding experience. 

I'd love to hear about your Thanksgiving. Leave a comment here or on my Facebook page, or send me a Tweet to let me know which tips you think you'll try, which dishes you are most looking forward to or how your Thanksgiving turned out. I've also started a Thanksgiving board on my Pinterest page.

For now, I'm off to watch holiday movies and daydream about those panini I'm going to make on Friday. Yum.

I wish you a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

Cheers!
Diane


Image: CountryLiving.com

Thanksgiving is less than a week away and all around me people are starting to put their holiday plans into action, heading out of town and picking up their groceries for the big meal. The long holiday weekend and going back home can mean slipping back into old habits, for better or worse, but spoiling all the work you've done for your body and health doesn't have to be a requirement of Thanksgiving Day. In fact, it's a great time to practice enjoying yourself while still maintaining your healthy habits. You should absolutely enjoy the foods you have been waiting for all year long but that doesn't mean you need to end up feeling bloated & regretful a week from now! So, let's check out some of my tips for Turkey Day. 


1. Eat your regularly scheduled meals. Some people will skip breakfast and lunch on Thanksgiving Day, in order to save up their calories for the big meal. But this strategy can lead to major overeating. Instead of starving yourself, eat at your regular mealtimes, even if you opt for something smaller and lighter than usual. Also, if the evening's meal is being prepared in your home, be mindful of how much grazing you are doing during the day. Taking "just a taste," here and there, multiple times through the course of the day, can really add up.

2. Make a healthy swap. Try substituting whole wheat flour for half the flour in your baked goods recipes. Go for baked or multigrain chips. Use plain lowfat or fat free Greek yogurt in place of sour cream or mayonnaise. Try evaporated milk in place of heavy cream.

3. Make your mealtime game plan. When I arrive to a dinner party or holiday meal, I make a mental note of everything that is being served and I think about what I will be eating that night. I decide which foods I can do without (I don't need to try the Turkey AND the roast AND the beef lasagna) and which foods are a no-compromise zone (a spoonful of marshmallow covered sweet potatoes is definitely going on my plate). Pre-planning your plate helps prevent mindless eating because when the dishes are being passed around you are more likely to serve yourself only from those you had already decided on instead of eating from every single dish.

4. Fill up on vegetables. The holidays are a great time to practice filling half your plate with fruits & vegetables. Fill a quarter of your plate with a protein (e.g., turkey) and another quarter with your choice of starch or grain (e.g., stuffing, potatoes, rice). Fill up the rest of your plate with your favorite fruits & vegetables being served. I like to load up on salad, broccoli & mushroom caps.  

5. Sip smart. Remember that the recommended daily limit of alcohol is one drink for women and two for men. Water or unsweetened coffee or tea are usually your best options. If you tend to lean toward juices and sweetened beverages, try diluting with any carbonated water (soda water, seltzer). 

6. Enjoy dessert - - but mind your portion. We've all either seen it or have been there ourselves. Someone announces they won't be partaking in dessert and then proceeds to take a "taste" and a "bite" from every one of the many treats on offer. If this is likely to happen to you, you may find that a more successful strategy may be to serve yourself a small slice of pie or a scoop of ice cream, on a small dish, with a small spoon, and slowly savor the treat. If you allow yourself to feel like you have taken part of the dessert experience, you may be less likely to feel compelled to sample from every cake and cookie at the table.

7. Get rid of your plate. Once you are done with your meal, excuse yourself to clear your own place setting from the table. If you feel uncomfortable doing this while everyone is still sitting and talking with their plates before them, but you are worried you will feel compelled to take seconds and thirds, choose to refill your plate with seconds of salad and vegetables. You can also fill up on your smart beverage (Tip #5). 

8. Keep yourself entertained. Before and after the meal, prevent yourself from mindless grazing by keeping yourself physically distracted. Play board games or head outside for a game of football. My family often ends an evening with Zumba DVDs or a Just Dance competition on the Wii. My nieces and nephew have a blast dancing the night away!

9. Strategize leftovers. Just as with Halloween candy, Thanksgiving leftovers can mean eating extra calories long past the actual holiday. If you are hosting Thanksgiving, consider giving away much of that leftover dessert and those treat items (like those marshmallow sweet potatoes I love). On the flip side, if you are the one taking leftovers home, this can be an opportunity to stock up on some of the more healthful items. I like to take home a lot of skinless turkey meat, plain sweet potatoes and just a little homemade cranberry sauce for post-Thanksgiving panini! 

10. Fit fitness into the long holiday weekend. Bring some balance to this fun and indulgent time by making room for some physical activity. It can be something as simple as going for a brisk walk in the fresh air. If you are reuniting with friends and family, a group workout can be a great bonding experience. 

I'd love to hear about your Thanksgiving. Leave a comment here or on my Facebook page, or send me a Tweet to let me know which tips you think you'll try, which dishes you are most looking forward to or how your Thanksgiving turned out. I've also started a Thanksgiving board on my Pinterest page.

For now, I'm off to watch holiday movies and daydream about those panini I'm going to make on Friday. Yum.

I wish you a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

Cheers!
Diane


Image: CountryLiving.com