Just Say Yum to a Healthier Thanksgiving

Did you wake up one day recently and realize it’s already November? Where did the time go? Halloween is over and now it’s time to look forward to Thanksgiving. Being that Thanksgiving is a fall holiday, it shares many of the same dishes and trimmings as Halloween, such as pumpkin, sweet potato, and apple. As I look forward to Thanksgiving, I can’t help but think about how I can strive to make this year’s thanksgiving holiday healthier.

Thanksgiving is the kick off to the holiday season that lasts about six weeks. If Thanksgiving is handled correctly, and the stage is set early, it’s possible to avoid the holiday stress and weight gain that you might have too easily come to accept. But instead of just telling you it’s possible, I will give you some tips to ensure a healthy holiday.

Recipe modification – Just because you would like to have a healthier thanksgiving does not mean you have to give up your favorite dishes. Instead, you can replace some of the unhealthy ingredients in your favorite dishes with healthier ingredients. This is not as hard as it sounds. General recipe modification guidelines include reducing salt, fat and sugar.

Fat can be replaced with applesauce, mashed banana, prune puree, or fruit-based fat replacers sold in supermarkets. Sugar can be reduced and replaced with cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg, or flavorings such as vanilla or almond extracts. Salt can be reduced by half or eliminated completely.

Other recipe modifications include: replacing enriched grains, such as white pasta, with whole grains, such as brown rice or whole wheat pasta; replace whole milk with low fat or fat-free milk; cut out or halve the amount of cheese in a recipe; and scale down the amount of meat, poultry or fish called for in a recipe and replace with more vegetables.

Plan ahead – Don’t starve yourself Thanksgiving Day in preparation for the “big” dinner. Starving yourself only has adverse effects on your physical and mental status. You will likely experience feelings of irritability and fatigue. Starving yourself can lead to an inability to recognize hunger and fullness, and will lead you to overeat when you finally do sit down at the dinner table. Therefore, it is important to eat breakfast and lunch before arriving to Thanksgiving dinner. This will keep your metabolism working efficiently, while allowing you to recognize your fullness signals so you know when to stop eating to avoid the feeling of having to open your belt buckle after the meal.

Mind your portions – Don’t overdo it and fill your plate to the point where it begins to overflow. Thanksgiving is known for some very specific special dishes. Try to choose the dishes that only come around for Thanksgiving and eat less of the foods that are available year round. Make sure to choose reasonably sized portions as well.

Exercise – Plan to get in some physical activity the day of, the day before, and the day after – or all three days. Physical activity will help you feel strong, energized and keep your metabolism working efficiently.

In striving for a healthy Thanksgiving this year, it is important to be proactive instead of reactive. Pre-plan your holiday with some of the healthy tips discussed here to ensure a happier, healthier and slimmer Thanksgiving.

Your turn to take action: What healthy Thanksgiving tips will you put into place so you are on the right track for a healthy Turkey day?