Thanksgiving comes once a year, so why not take advantage and splurge on some stuffing and dessert.? Gathering with family and bonding over everyone’s dishes is such a great thing, which is why eating fattening food is inevitable. When all of the delicious food is prepared, it can easily become overwhelming, making it easier to over eat, which is why having a pre-dinner plan is key to staying on track! There is nothing wrong with having a cheat day, especially on a holiday, but why not have the best of both worlds? Stay on track with your healthy diet, while still enjoying some delicious Thanksgiving food. For those of you who don’t want to pack on the pounds from one family sitting, here are some tips on how to stay healthy this Thanksgiving!
1) Portion Control
Limiting portions can not only help you maintain your weight, but ultimately prevents you from overeating. For example, when having your turkey, (or whatever main course is being served), make the serving approximately the size of your fist. With any carbs such as; rice, noodles, stuffing etc, have about ¼ cup, that way you can still enjoy the higher carb dishes, without the guilt!
2) Stick with One Dessert
Dessert is the portion of the meal that can easily make us lose all willpower. Although having dessert is not bad, as a matter of fact, it is good to treat your body once in awhile, having 10 desserts can be overkill. It can be even more difficult when every family member is forcing their desserts down your throat, making it hard to resist, and of course you never want to offend anyone! A tip I recommend is taking a small portion of each dessert, that way you ensure that you’ve tasted everyone’s dish, without risking over- pleasing your sweet tooth!
3) Stay Social and Approach Family
When eating dinner, try socializing and walking around to each individual to interact and catch up! This will keep you preoccupied during dinner, distracting you from all of the delicious food, while keeping you active since you will be on your feet. On the plus side, you gain more bonding time with your relatives!
4) Plan a Post-Turkey Dinner Family Walk
Exercise is a great way to bond with friends and family. Fall is a beautiful season, so why not take advantage of the beautiful autumn leaves and take a walk with your family around the block. Or, take your cousins and relatives to the park to play some soccer or football! There is no such thing as bad exercise, so enjoy the fresh air while burning off some Thanksgiving calories!
5) Stay Hydrated
Water water water water!! I cannot stress enough how important drinking water is for your body. Drinking water throughout the night and through dinner will help the digestion process, ultimately helping to break down the food as well as reduce bloating. Water has so many benefits for our bodies, which is why I recommend skipping the pop, juice or alcohol provided at dinner, and staying refreshed and hydrated.
I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving with your families, be safe and have fun HC Readers! Xo