Thanksgiving is around the corner! It’s a time for sharing what we are grateful for and spending time with our loved ones. It’s also a holiday known for indulging in food that we don’t normally eat on a regular basis. Do you stress about weight and food during Thanksgiving?
How to Have a Healthy Thanksgiving
You don’t have to sacrifice your health during the holiday season. You can still enjoy all the festivities while making adjustments to your favorite dishes as needed.
A Word of Advice:
Before we dive in, remember to avoid all-or-nothing thinking. You don’t have to give up on your favorite foods and restrict yourself with frustrating boundaries. You should like what you eat or else healthy lifestyle changes won’t work for you. So, try to ENJOY food on Thanksgiving by exercising moderation and adding a creative twist to your homemade dishes!
Healthy Quick Tips:
- Instead of mashed potatoes, mash a head of cauliflower for similar consistency. Add in some chicken stock, fresh garlic, spices, herbs and cheese.
- Replace the bread or croutons in stuffing with chopped veggies (squash, celery, red onions, etc.) to make up for the missing bulk.
- When making turkey gravy, substitute flour and cornstarch with a cream reduction mixed with turkey juices and shiitake mushrooms.
- If a recipe calls for sugar, like homemade cranberry sauce or pumpkin pie, consider a low-calorie sweetener like Stevia, Truvia or others.
- Instead of traditional green bean casserole, try making a green bean dish with almonds and a little bit of butter (plus your favorite spices).
- Whip-up a unique salad with ingredients like zucchini, Brussels sprouts, beets, goat cheese, butternut squash, quinoa, cranberries, etc.
- Experiment with low-carb, creamy soups like broccoli and cauliflower, mushroom, pumpkin, cream of asparagus or something cheese-based.
- Bake your turkey or chicken with savory herbs like rosemary. Add salt/pepper, onion, apple, carrots, lemon and other fresh ingredients.
A Few Words of Advice
You can’t always control what others bring to the Thanksgiving table, but you can control what you personally contribute. Offer a lighter, low-carb dish (or two) as a healthy yet tasty option that everyone can feel good about eating.
You can also work at managing your appetite. Instead of fasting all day to make room for a large meal, eat a light breakfast and/or lunch to prevent hunger pangs and weakness. You may be less tempted to pile everything up on your plate at once.
For more tips on having a low-carb Thanksgiving, CLICK HERE for advice from the Obesity Action Coalition’s Weight Matters Magazine.
