Officially the start of the Holiday season, Thanksgiving for me is also the start of the battle against the “holiday” indulgence.
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays – good food, good company, good football. But a traditional approach to Thanksgiving isn’t necessarily in line with my healthy lifestyle that I work so hard to maintain. Is it the same for you?
So, this year, instead of letting Thanksgiving derail my nutrition efforts and feeling guilty, I am going to try a different approach and follow these recommendations. How about you?
- Start the day off right. Get up and get a workout in and eat a good breakfast. Even if the workout is only 15 minutes, it will still help get the metabolism going. Then, eat a healthy protein and fiber filled breakfast such as Shakeology or 2 eggs, a slice of whole grain toast and a side of greens.
- Bring a dish to share that fits into healthy eating plans. Maybe it is raw veggies for an appetizer or a spinach salad for the main meal.
- Strategically load a plate. Start by filling ½ the p
late with vegetables and salad (go light on the dressing). Then ¼ with turkey and ¼ with the starches – stuffing and potatoes. Top the turkey, potatoes, and stuffing with a small amount of gravy or substitute cranberries for a turkey topping. Forego the bread, whip cream salads, candied yams, and second helpings.
- Enjoy the favorites. Thanksgiving is all about traditions and creating memories. Instead of skipping favorites, have a small scoop. For me, it is apple pie, so I am going to have a small slice with a bit of ice cream. The key is keeping portions
reasonable. - Create new traditions by introducing a new healthy dish to the mix. One of our favorites is green potatoes. We steam spinach and then add it to our potatoes when mashing. Even though they are still a starch, they have a more nutritional value. The kids ask for it every year.
- Take a walk after dinner. The movement feels good and helps eases guilt.
- Take a moment and reflect on all the blessing of this year. As much as the food is part of our Thanksgiving traditions, it is really about sharing the day with our loved ones.
Happy Thanksgiving!