Healthy Thanksgiving Tips and Recipes

Have you been worrying about staying healthy for the holidays? Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where overindulging yourself not only acceptable, but expected. However, I've researched all over the internet for tips and recipes to keep you fitting in your favorite jeans come Friday!

Some tips to keep in mind on Thursday...
Eat Breakfast - You may be wanting to save all your calories for your delicious Thanksgiving feast, but by the time the turkey is completely cooked through, you're ravenous. This situation will most likely always result in you overeating because you're so hungry. However, eating a small breakfast in the morning will curb your appetite until the meal is completely cooked and all your family has arrived and allow you to have control over what you eat. Go for something with protein like egg whites or whole wheat toast with peanut butter.

Be Wary of your Portions - The dinner table during Thanksgiving is always overflowing with plenty of different dishes; that doesn't mean your plate has to overflow as well. Survey what is available and choose certain dishes that you really want, but watch the portions you give yourself. It's always better to give yourself less and go back for seconds if you're still hungry than to give yourself a lot and eat it just because it's on your plate. A good tip I read was to not waste your calories on foods that you can eat all year long; go for the special dishes that only are made on Thanksgiving to get the most satisfaction out of your meal. Also, do not go for seconds if you are not really that hungry. Save room for dessert instead. If you're not the one cooking, there are some key dishes to keep in mind that are the healthiest for you: white turkey meat, plain vegetables, roasted sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, fat free gravy, and pumpkin pie.

Eat Slowly - Savor every bite. There's no need to eat fast at Thanksgiving, it's all about relaxation and spending time with the ones you love. Try to spread your food intake throughout the day. Plan appetizers midday, the turkey with side dishes around dinner time, and dessert later on in the night. That way everyone will have time to digest all the delicious home-made dishes and know to save room in their stomachs for more food later.

Remember that Drinks have Calories Too - Many people like to relax and drink on Thanksgiving, and that's fine, as long as it's in moderation. Alcohol has a lot of calories in it, so if you're trying to stay healthy then you have to choose between the delicious meal that comes once a year or having a few drinks. One or two glasses of wine shouldn't add any notches to your belt. However, the best way to keep your weight stable during this holiday is to drink lots of water. It has 0 calories and will make you feel full so you don't overeat.

You should also keep in mind some fun facts about this holiday...

• I've read on a few sites that the average person eats almost 5,000 calories on Thanksgiving day. That's two days worth of calories. Don't lose your cool though, the extra calories add up to less than a pound of stored fat so if you notice you gained a few pounds on Friday, it's just temporary. As long as you go back to your normal eating and exercise schedule, everything will go back to normal in a short amount of time.
• The average person only gains about 1 pound after all the holiday festivities (between Thanksgiving and New Years). This means if you come out of the holidays overweight, you most likely went in overweight. One of my fellow health bloggers, Nutrition Diva, wrote a saying that I really wanted to share with you guys: 

A big holiday dinner isn’t going to make you fat any more than a day or two eating cabbage soup is going to make you thin. When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, or even just trying to eat a healthy diet, I suggest that you not focus too much on your best days or your worst days.In the long run, what really matters is how you eat most days.

Some Healthy Recipes for Thanksgiving

Green Bean Casserole

One of my all-time favorite dishes! This recipe takes away the canned soup which allows you to make your own sauce where you can control what is put in it. This way, you can get rid of most of the sodium and fat!

Wild Mushroom Stuffing

This yummy recipe uses mushrooms to add texture and richness to the stuffing. It also includes turkey liver which gives it an amazing flavor, but if you're too scared to try it, you can omit it from the recipe.

Root Vegetable Gratin

Try a new way to eat your carrots, parsnips, turnips, red beets, etc. Roots not really your thing? Well they are excellent for you and taste amazing in this dish with the breadcrumbs and cheese! Plus, this dish pairs perfectly with roasted turkey.

Oatmeal-Nut Crunch Apple Pie

Although pumpkin pie has a strong tradition for being dessert during Thanksgiving, I have to say that apple pie is my all time favorite. This recipe uses low-fat ingredients and fresh apples. If you don't feel like making the crust from scratch, you can buy a pre-made one from the store. You definitely want to save some calories during Thanksgiving to indulge on this at the end.

Exercise of the Week:



Check out more of SHAPE's Thanksgiving Work Out Videos here!


Have a happy Thanksgiving and remember that it's not just about all the food that will be available to you, it's about spending time with friend and family. If you focus on that, you won't have to worry about overeating and ruining all the hard work you've put in so far!

Stay tuned next week for healthy ways to use your Thanksgiving leftovers!
#THEHEALTHGURU