Thanksgiving is a day filled with
friends, family, fun, and (of course) food!
While the traditions of Thanksgiving may vary from gathering to
gathering, the over-abundance is a staple of this yearly feast. So here are a few tips to help you to indulge
while being mindful of healthy eating habits and keeping your stress levels
low.
1.
Skip the Apps
The pre-meal munchies and appetizers
are tempting, but devastating to anyone looking to keep a moderate calorie
count. Chips, dips, and finger foods may
be yummy, but when added to the massive meal that generally comes with
Thanksgiving, they are just extra calories that could be better consumed with
holiday foods.
2.
Downsize the Turkey to a Chicken
Not only is a whole chicken easier
and quicker to cook than a turkey. This
can help keep you from getting frazzled in the kitchen and leave you to enjoy
the holiday rather than be stuck by the oven.
3.
Make your Dressing from Scratch
Skip the boxed stuffings and bring
in the fresh veggies. By doing it
yourself, you can add in a lot more nutritionally sound ingredients to this
Thanksgiving staple and reduce the excess salt that is often in the boxed
stuff. Also, you can prepare this the
day before so all you have to do is cook it quick, like you would with boxed
stuffing, giving you fresh, homemade dressing without the stress.
4.
Make Cranberries from Scratch
Like above, doing it yourself will
help you cut out excess sugars and let you add in some yummy flair that will
make your cranberry sauce unique. While
this might add some work to your preparations, it generally can be prepared the
night before.
5.
Skip the Dinner Rolls!
Unless it's grandma's fresh baked
bread, or Uncle Steve's famous rolls, skip the bread. Thanksgiving is a meal filled with
carbohydrates. Skipping the bread will
allow you to enjoy the other delicious carbs and starches, like potatoes, yams,
and corn.
6.
Make it Fresh
While green bean casserole may be a
classic, plain green beans with some light seasoning is just as yummy and not
as heavy in calories. Or, if you're
feeling adventurous, substitute in a fresh salad with Thanksgiving favorites
like cranberries, pecans, and other fall foods instead of that tired ol' bean
dish.
7.
Stick with the Pumpkin Pie
It's a trademark of the holiday, so
why stray? While some jazzy, new flavor
of pie may be tempting, the Thanksgiving classic is generally lower in calories
than many berry alternatives. It's also
easier to cut into smaller slices for the just the perfect cap at the end of an
epic meal.
Source:
http://www.healthy-diet-habits.com/thanksgiving.html
