Give Thanks for Your Health with a Diet-Friendly Thanksgiving Dinner
If you’re planning on giving thanks to your health this Thanksgiving, it doesn’t hurt to rethink your traditional holiday feast.
The USDA recommends that average weight adults consume 1,800 to 2,200 calories daily, and an average Thanksgiving food fest can double that. But the holiday can hold dietary promise; Thanksgiving staples like turkey and sweet potatoes are both low-fat and nutrient-packed when properly prepared.
Late Chicago Sun-Times columnist Irv Kupcinet once said that someone who starts a diet on Thanksgiving Day is an optimist. Being an optimist this November can help you give thanks for years to come. Below are three ways to help your Thanksgiving feast fit coexist with a healthy diet.
Be Thankful for Veggies
Vegetables, full of nutrients and fiber, are low-calorie ways to fill up your plate and your body on Thanksgiving. Replace calorie-laden starters like pita with spinach and artichoke dip with veggies and yogurt or hummus. Start dinner with a robust salad rather than traditional bread and butter. Seasoned roasted vegetables and Mashed Cauliflower make excellent and healthy side dishes, and cinnamon-sprinkled baked apples and fresh berries satisfy even the meanest sweet tooth for dessert.
Make Sensible Swaps
High calorie holiday recipe ingredients, such as butter and cream, can crush hopes of healthy eating on Thanksgiving. Use can also use fat-free chicken broth and different herbs to baste your turkey instead of oil or butter. Also consider swapping plain yogurt for sour cream, part-skim or low-fat cheese for full fat ones, and fruit purees for oil. These small substitutions can ultimately save hundreds of calories.
Keep it fresh
Thanksgiving stress can cause many to rely on convenient canned foods to cook holiday meals. This is problematic, as food cans act as incubators for bisphenol A (BPA), a toxic chemical linked to cancer and other health concerns. To avoid added exposure to this, plan your menu early enough to visit your local farmer’s market for fresh ingredients or try one of these alternatives.
If you’ve already tweaked your turkey day diet, remember that a healthy holiday doesn’t stop at the dinner table. Gather your family and friends, and burn a few calories with a Thanksgiving football game, turkey trot, or a post-dinner stroll. Any activity is better for your physical and mental health than none at all, and it will create timeless memories of a family Thanksgiving.
