Thanksgiving Dinner: How to Make the Healthier Choice

Thanksgiving is coming up, and it’s finally time to see our families, catch up with some friends and our Netflix TV shows. But that’s not all – we can’t forget about Thanksgiving dinner. The pumpkin pie, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, mashed potatoes, it’s endless! When you’re trying to live a healthy lifestyle, it’s difficult when you’re put into situations where you can’t choose how your food is made. I strongly believe that when you’re striving to eat healthy, it’s best not to ruin a night out with friends, or go out for dinner because you won’t be happy with what you’re eating! So this Thanksgiving dinner, don’t skip the mash potatoes or a piece of pie, but learn to make the healthier choice out of what you’re given! Let’s start out with what’s healthy vs. unhealthy with common Thanksgiving options:

Turkey Meat: White vs. Dark.

When it comes to Turkey Meat (and a majority of other meats as well) white meat is always a healthier option. But why? Aside from white meat having less calories, it’s also less fat. Dark meat is the juicer option because it holds onto the fat, and all the fat juices from the turkey. Which is probably why it’s the more popular meat! White also contains more protein…based on a card-sized shape of meat, a piece of white meat has 30 g of protein whereas dark meat has 25 g. Overall, it’s best to stick to the white meat for better nutrition and less fat. But if you must have the dark, take off the skin (as that’s where a majority of the calories lie) and go easy on the gravy!

Sweet Mashed Potatoes vs. Regular Mashed Potatoes.

Starch! It’s the hardest thing not to pile on your plate, smother it in butter and gravy and call it a day. BUT you’ll find that sweet potatoes can be just as tasty and are actually good for you! Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes have both high carb properties, but the sweet potato is easier on the digestive system, making it better to break down in your tummy! They also are on the sweeter side, satisfying your sweet tooth, and tones down your cravings when the desserts roll around! 

Now that we have a little idea of what to put on our plate I’m going to show you how much of each you should have. A little bit of plate dynamics. 

Imagine your plate is a circle. Now put a line right through the middle. On one half of your plate it should be all vegetables (salad, steamed veggies, etc) but all in all they should make up half your plate. Now take the other half of your plate and split that into 2’s. 

On the one corner should be your meat/protein. An easy rule of thumb with your meats is that they should never be more than a stack of cards. On the other corner should be your grains/starch. Healthy carbs such as your stuffing, a potato or whole grain pasta. 

Thanksgiving is one of the best times of the year, as you get to celebrate with your closest friends and family. Don’t deprive yourself of all this great homemade food…just make the healthier choice and you’ll be one step closer to a healthier, happier lifestyle!