With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it can seem impossible to avoid the turkey bloat. With our 5 tips for healthy eating this holiday, you can have your turkey and eat it too!
Stop eating when you are fullThis tip may seem too easy but it’s a real life saver. When you are full it’s okay to stop eating! Sometimes our eyes are bigger than our stomachs and with such a smorgasbord of tasty looking food in front of us it can be hard to say no. After you finish your first plate, wait 30 minutes before you go back for more. This small break will allow you to determine whether you’re actually still hungry or you’re just afraid to miss out on the food. If this is the case, make a to-go plate and set it to the side. This will ensure that you get that second serving and there will be no rush to eat it.
Control portion sizesOn Thanksgiving it’s natural to want some of everything and that’s perfectly fine … as long as you are controlling your portions. A spoonful of everything is okay but when you have large portions of various foods that can weigh you down — LITERALLY. Try the “fist” rule. If your second food item is larger than your fist then you should consider making it smaller. For instance, take a spoonful of mashed potatoes and compare it to your fist food item. This will be a good representation of the amount you should be eating.
Go liteIf you assist your family in cooking Thanksgiving dinner, you can suggest some of the following alternatives for your traditional recipes. Try to avoid any canned vegetables and encourage your family to buy fresh produce; this will decrease the amount of sodium that you will intake during your Thanksgiving dinner. Incorporate salad into the menu this year. Starting with some leafy greens will help fill your stomach before you get to the turkey and stuffing. The final tip for going lite is to purchase “lite” products. Butter, oil, dressings for salads, etc. The taste is barely any different and the health benefits for eating lite are an added bonus.
Drink water.Drinking a glass of water before your meal will fill you up and help you to control how much you’re eating. The theory is that a glass of water will limit your calorie intake. Water is also always a better alternative to other beverages; it provides benefits to your skin and is overall good for hydration.
Walk it outAvoid the post-dinner nap! Get active and rally up the family for a brisk walk around the neighborhood. This helps ensure that no food is just settling in your stomach while you are sleeping. A personal family tradition is tossing around the football before the meal with all members of the family. Activities like these may seem trivial but they are all helpful in controlling that dreaded holiday weight gain.