As Thanksgiving approaches most of us are undoubtedly getting ready for a feast with our loved ones. This day, with an abundance of food, leaves many of us feeling guilty and thinking about how we can be “good” on this holiday. Below are a few simple tips to help you eat well on Thanksgiving.
Portion Control
Know what a portion is and do your best to stick to one serving. Remember, if you want to try everything, aim to eat about ½ or less of each serving so you can have a variety of foods.
Here are some samples of one serving and how to eyeball the quantity:
- 1 Cup of Mashed Potatoes – About the size of a small apple
- 2-3oz of Turkey – About the size of a deck of cards
- ½ Cup of Stuffing or Green Bean Casserole – About the size of a tennis ball or ice cream scoop
- Plain Steamed Veggies – This is where you can splurge! Have as many steamed veggies as you like, just beware if they are cooked in oils or butter.
- 1 Roll – About the size of your palm
- 1 Slice of Pie - 1/6 of a standard pie
Plan Ahead
Many of us will experience multiple Thanksgiving dinners and sometimes more than one in a single day. This is when some planning is needed. Know how many meals you will attend. This will allow you to best plan your portion sizes.
If you have three dinners to attend in one day, plan small portions on everything. Think of a standard serving listed above and take only about 1/3 of that. Yes, portion control can be hard during that first meal, but remember you have two more to enjoy that same day.
Healthy Switches
If you are cooking the meal or bringing a dish, aim to make some simple healthy switches. For example:
- Instead of canned cranberry sauce opt to make your own without any added sugar
- Mashed potatoes made with heavy whipping cream and butter opt instead for simple seasoned mashed potatoes made with a little fat free Greek yogurt and skim milk
- Skip the candied yams and go for baked sweet potatoes
- Instead of traditional pie get creative and go crustless and think little to no added sugar
Limit Alcohol
Thanksgiving is all about the food so plan on skipping the wine or sticking to just one glass.
It’s One Day - Enjoy
Remember, Thanksgiving is just one day of the year. It’s what you do the other 364 days that really matters. Enjoy your meal and don’t feel guilty over one day.