Let’s face it; Thanksgiving Day is the only holiday where your entire day is stuffing your face with yummy festive food. Everyone’s eyes are bigger then their stomachs, but we all know that awful feeling where you can’t move because you’ve been induced into a food coma..not always the most fun! So I’m here to help guide you into a few easy ways to cut back the cals while still enjoying your Thanksgiving feast to the fullest (literally!).
1.Don’t go back for seconds!
We all start with one plate of all our favorite yummy Thanksgiving Day foods, but then finish it so quick. The key here is to make sure you stick to one plate try not to go back for seconds, give yourself healthy portions of each dish you want to enjoy and stick to that. Just because you only have one plate though doesn’t mean you can make it resemble a New York skyscraper, keep it portioned out!
2. Avoid the Appetizers!
Every holiday, families always leave out those yummy little appetizers with every imaginable finger food you could scavenge, but don’t fall for it! Majority of these little plates may satisfy your craving and keep you full for a little while but everyone is jam packed with unnecessary calories! Keep them to a minimum, and try to find those veggie platters!
3. Go Skinless on the Turkey
Turkey is just like chicken where the skin is where the fat hides out! Be sure to keep your helpings to the skinless kind and try to keep the gravy to a minimum. Don’t skip out on the veggies either; keep your plate balanced with a good portion of vegetables, carbohydrates and protein!
4. Don’t deprive yourself from the dessert!
We all know Thanksgiving Day’s desserts are always the most decadent so be sure to indulge just a tad. Ask what the menu is ahead of time so you can plan out where you were splurge for the calories. If you know you’re Aunt is bringing her famous apple crisp pie, be sure to limit your appetizers and dinner portions to save room and pace yourself with eating! And remember slivers of pie, not fractions!
5. Drink lots of water and get some exercise in!
Don’t be the bum on the couch watching the parade all day, we all know were a little over the age of enjoyment for that anyways! Be sure to drink water constantly to relieve the hangover from the night before but also to fill your stomach and trick your body into thinking it’s more full. Try to get outside and enjoy some exercise, take your cousin whom you haven’t seen in months for a little stroll to catch up instead of doing it over the pigs in a blanket table, or maybe even start a game of two hand touch football with the Uncles! Family bonding at it’s finest!
All in all, enjoy your holiday break, but just try to be smart when it comes to dinnertime! Don’t become the stuffed turkey! Happy eating!