With Thanksgiving break right around the corner, I know we are all looking forward to going home and spending some much-needed time away from the pressures of finals season. But with the holiday comes all the delicious food and time to chill out, and it definitely can be difficult to keep up your healthy habits when surrounded by it all at once.
That being said, it doesn’t have to be that way if you go into Thanksgiving with the right mindset! If you are looking for easy ways to stay both happy and healthy during break, here are some ideas to help you avoid the food-coma!
- Don’t Skip Meals
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It can be really tempting to want to save up your appetite (and your calories) until its time indulge in the big Thanksgiving meal. But, even if you know you’re going to have a big dinner that night, skipping out on breakfast isn’t the right move. It will only cause your body to be hungrier, and eventually, you’ll want to overindulge after starving yourself all day. Instead, it’s a good idea to start your day off with a balanced, healthy breakfast to keep you satisfied until you feast on some turkey. Alissa Rumsey, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, recommends eating a meal that includes protein and fiber, to keep you full for longer, as we as a small snack a few hours before the main event. This could include a simple oatmeal with berries or scrambled eggs with toast.
- Stay Hydrated
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Even when it’s not Thanksgiving, you should still try to drink 8 glasses of water. But especially if you plan on eating such a large meal, make sure you stay hydrated and drink more than what is recommended. Thanksgiving foods tend to be higher in sodium, so your body will be super thankful (haha, get it?) for all the extra water. Not only this, when you’re dehydrated, your body often confuses being thirsty with being hungry, causing you to want to eat even more. At dinner, there may be several delicious drinks to choose from, but try to stick to water as your main beverage to avoid drinking additional calories. It will also help out your digestive system by flushing out toxins that make you feel sluggish. No food comas on H20’s watch!
- Offer to Help Cook
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If you and your family make home-cooked meals for Thanksgiving, offer to help out in the kitchen so you can have a say in which foods are prepared. If you’re worried about there not being enough healthy choices, there are tons of different swaps that can be made to make even classic dishes have a nutritional boost. This can range from an easy side dish all the way to the main course if you wanted to. If you click here, you will find a list to a bunch of Thanksgiving modification dishes that are just as yummy as the original! As an extra bonus, I’m sure your parents wouldn’t mind all the extra help in the kitchen!
- Divide Your Plate Right
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With so many options available, from turkey to stuffing and to mashed potatoes, it’s easy to lose sight of dividing up your plate proportionally. Even though it may be a holiday, Thanksgiving is no excuse to skip your recommended serving of nutrient-packed vegetables. Dietitian Natalie Weiss recommends to “fill half of your plate with green vegetables, a quarter of your plate with starch, and the remaining quarter with turkey.” Veggies also bulk up your plate with a lot of nutrients than other high-caloric foods such as bread and dipping sauces. So not only are you eating fewer calories, but you can eat lots of them!
- Stay Active
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I know you just read the title and laughed at me, but let me explain. Although exercise may be the last thing you want to do on your break, don’t forget to move your body a little bit. And of course relaxing on your break is still very okay (and also like necessary as a stressed-out college student), but being active can be as simple as taking a walk with your family after you have eaten, or even doing some yoga in the morning. Here is a list to some exercises designed to get you moving around instead of sitting around all day, but also try to remember that light exercise doesn’t give you an excuse to overeat later. Sadly, you might have to hit the gym and get sweating with that mindset.
- Focus on the Moment
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Even though there is a huge emphasis on food, remember that Thanksgiving is also a time you get to be with your family and friends. It’s a time where you get to unwind and slowdown from a normally very hectic time of the quarter; so while you are sitting at the dinner table, make sure to appreciate the moment instead of worrying about what you are going to eat. The main event IS spending quality time together, not just what’s included in the buffet. Spend the time you are given with your loved one’s wisely, because once in college, we don’t get as much of it as we should.
- Don’t be Super Hard on Yourself
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After working through midterms, essays, and just college life in general, you deserve a break from school. During the holidays, you don’t have to worry about being absolutely perfect; remember, Thanksgiving is a time to spend time with your family and eat good food, not get into the best shape of your life. It’s okay to indulge a little bit, so don’t stress out if your meal isn’t perfectly healthy. As long as you try to do your best, let yourself relax and destress, and don’t overdo it, you shouldn’t feel bad about enjoying your time with your loved ones. And hey, if you really want another piece of pie, don’t let anyone stop you from treating yourself!
No matter how you are celebrating Thanksgiving this year, what’s most important is that you can relax and enjoy your time to the fullest. To all my fellow collegiates, safe travels and happy Thanksgiving!