Opening Message:
The holidays for sure can be filled with lots of laughter, love, and joy with family and friends…but also substantial calories and temporary passes on healthy habits and recommended diets. Listed in this article are good and proactive tips on how to avoid overindulging but still have a wonderful Thanksgiving as well as other holidays.
Help Maintaining Your Nutrition and Fitness Routines During the Holidays
· Explore the Variety of Seasonal Produce:
Think about what foods come to mind when you think of Thanksgiving? There is normally turkey, stuffing, buttered vegetables, and mashed potatoes on a traditional menu. BUT…there is so much healthy seasonal produce available during this time of year. Try featuring foods like squash, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, apples, carrots, cranberries, pumpkin and pomegranates on your thanksgiving table.
· Modify and Experiment:
Alter your favorite recipes by replacing those not-so-healthy ingredients with healthier options. For example, using applesauce instead of oil when baking can significantly decrease the fat and calorie content. Adding extra seasonal vegetables to any dish can increase the nutrient content of the food. Roasting various vegetables is extremely flavorful and looks colorful and inviting to eat on your table.
· Make Time for Physical Activity:
Thanksgiving Day is a great time to get outside with friends and family. Try a family football game, or walk around the neighborhood after your big feast. Exercise will offset some of the calories consumed at the Thanksgiving table.
· Watch What You Drink: You can curb the number of calories you consume by limiting sweetened and alcoholic beverages. Try plain or flavored seltzer water with added fresh fruit, refreshing water with a slice of lime, orange, or cucumber to save calories for the feast.
· Indulge a Little and Enjoy a Lot:
Thanksgiving and the rest of the holidays only comes around once a year, so it’s important to enjoy it. Embrace the abundance of delicious food and the value of time spent with family and friends.
Additional Tips for Eating a Healthy Thanksgiving Dinner:
· Choose lean proteins: Select white turkey meat, which is lower in fat and calories.
· Eat vegetables: Fill half your plate with roasted vegetables. Green beans are a good option because they contain vitamins A, C, and K, as well as fiber. Brussels sprouts are also high in fiber and nutrients.
· Make gravy without flour: Skip the flour or use less flour when making gravy. Prepare your gravy before serving, cool in refrigerator, and then skim off the fat from the top and reheat until hot before serving.
· Make pumpkin pie crustless: Pumpkin is high in fiber and low in carbs, so making a crustless pumpkin pie can save on calories, fat, and carbs.
· Eat mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes: Mashed cauliflower is a low-carb substitute for mashed potatoes. You can make it smooth and creamy by adding cream cheese.
· Eat sweet potatoes: Roasted sweet potatoes are a healthy option. You can also make a healthy sweet potato casserole without marshmallows and butter.
· Eat cranberries: Choose cranberries without added sugar. Cranberry sauce is full of nutrients, but it's slightly acidic, so you can drink water afterwards to neutralize the acids in your mouth.
· Eat slowly: Eat slowly and drink plenty of water with your meal so you don't feel the need to go for seconds.
Closing Statement:
The key to a healthy Thanksgiving or any holiday table is to plan early. Try going online and search healthy recipes, you will be amazed how good some of these recipes are. If you know your guests are not familiar or open to more healthier eating, simply make smaller amounts of the usual side dishes, or if your guests offer to bring something to dinner, HAVE THEM BRING IT! Always offer to have your guests try other side dishes and desserts made the healthier way. I’m sure they will be greatly surprised on how tasty well-prepared healthier food can taste!
Source of Information: Various Google Searches and Personal Healthy Diet Choices
Until Next Week, Stay Safe and Well!
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