Healthy Thanksgiving Choices Made Easy | The Pathway to Healing

The typical Thanksgiving dinner supplies 2,000 calories and 100 grams of fat ? not to mention possibly a bit of guilt! But you can enjoy the holiday and the dinner to its fullest, without feeling at your fullest.

Thanksgiving Tips

? Don't go to Thanksgiving dinner hungry. As discussed in Feed Your Brain to Beat Cravings, a hungry brain does not make wise food choices and has a harder time exerting control. You also tend to eat faster when hungry, so you may keep eating while your body is trying to register and send signals that it is full. So try to eat a small meal or snack before the dinner that contains lean protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and small amounts of healthy fats.

? Location, location. Socialize away from the buffet table, kitchen, and other sources of food and drinks.

? Mind your plate. Even on holidays, keep the MyPlate guidelines (Understanding MyPlate) in mind, filling half your plate with vegetables/fruit, one quarter with a lean meat and the rest with a starch, preferably whole grain.

? Practice moderation. Don?t think of Thanksgiving dinner as an all-you-can-eat buffet, with repeated fillings of your plate. Instead, take smaller, sample-size portions of what you want the first time so you can try everything without going back for seconds. If it doesn?t all fit, skip the foods that you have all the time, such as rolls, and take small servings of other starches that are more of a special occasion food, like stuffing.

? Keep it lean. Choose white meat and remove the skin to reduce fat and cholesterol; limit cream, cheese and butter-based dishes; and avoid toppings or sauces that are fried, candied or loaded with fat. Instead, consider foods that are as close as possible to their natural state.

? Drink plenty of water. Water helps to fill up your stomach and stay hydrated. Punches and ciders are full of sugar, and alcoholic drinks not only are high in calories, but can also lead to less control over what you eat, so watch what you drink with your dinner.

? Take 10.Wait ten minutes before going back for seconds to decide if you really are still hungry. It takes that long for the brains to get the message that the stomach is full.

? Be a good guest. If you are spending Thanksgiving at the home of friends or relatives, offer to bring a dish, and make it a healthy one. This ensures that there is deliciously healthful option that you ? and everyone else ? can enjoy. See below for ideas.

Tips for the Host:

? Substitute and modify. There are a number of simple modifications and substitutions you can make to lower the fat and calories (like using non-stick cooking spray instead of greasing pans with butter or shortening), increase the nutritious whole grains, and add flavor while boosting the antioxidants in a dish. See Healthy Holiday Cooking Tips for more information. For original recipe ideas, see Linda?s Recipes or sites such as http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/thanksgiving-recipes/NU00643 and http://allrecipes.com/howto/healthy-thanksgiving-recipes/

? Start with smart snacks. If people are hungry when they arrive, don?t let them fill up on processed meats and cheeses. Instead, try a tray with vegetables, whole wheat crackers and hummus.

? Offer more. It may seem like more effort to offer a number of vegetable options, but if you serve them in a more natural state (steamed, raw, grilled, roasted), it will be less work (and fat) overall. And if you have a variety of calorie-free flavored sparkling waters and teas, you can skip sodas, mixers and punches and just have one or two other options, like cider or wine.

? Offer less. Use fewer of the high-calorie or fatty toppings, gravies, and ingredients (such as sausage or bacon in stuffing, brown sugar crumble or marshmallows on sweet potatoes, and cheese, cream or fried onions in vegetable dishes) that won?t even be missed.

? Leftovers! Even if you send food home with guests, you?re sure to have leftover turkey. Instead of a week of sandwiches, see 10 Low Fat Ways to Use Leftover Turkey for delicious turkey recipes.

And finally, remember that the real point of Thanksgiving is to enjoy time with loved ones and give thanks to God for all our many blessings.

Source: http://www.thepathwaytohealing.com/thanksgivingchoices112012

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