10 Tips to a Healthy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving dinner doesn't have to mean an additional 10 pounds by the next morning.  

Here are 10 tips to avoid overdoing it on Thanksgiving and over the holiday party season in general.

1. If you're going to have dessert, go for pumpkin pie. Healthiest option of all. Avoid pecan. Highest in fat and sugars.

2. Choose the white meat/breast part of the turkey. 

3. If you want gravy, get it on the side and dip your fork in it then grab the turkey. Do the same with salad dressings

3. For alcoholic beverages, try to avoid beer. Best options are red wine or hard liquor with club soda (vodka soda is my fave!) 

4. Don't drink too much because alcohol lowers inhibitions and will cause you to overeat. 

5. Get your food and get away from the food table after you serve yourself. Don't linger or sit next to it to avoid temptation. 

6.  Drink a glass of water before you eat and before you grab any food throughout the day.  

7.  Avoid carbs and sugars at breakfast. Eat a high protein breakfast to help keep you full and satisfied until Thanksgiving dinner.  Save your carbs and sugars for a serving of dessert so you don't overdo it later in the day.

8.  Use a small plate vs a regular size plate. It'll look like you're eating more food than you really are.  

9.  Eat slowly.  It takes your body approximately 20 minutes to register it's full so chew your food and enjoy every bite.

10.  Bring your own dish.  That way you KNOW there will be something healthy for you to fill up on if there are no other healthy options.

Thanksgiving Dinner Revised!

So you’re probably going to eat more than usual on Thanksgiving and I get it. It’s a popular foodie holiday, but you also don’t want to wake up the next morning and feel like you've undone all of your progress. Of course, if you’ve been exercising and eating right, one day won’t undo all the work you’ve done but, as you head into winter, it’s easy to fall off the wagon and struggle to get back on.

So, with that in mind, here are some examples from Autumn Calabrese’s video shoot and the Team Beachbody blog to help you properly plate your Thanksgiving meal.

The Typical Plate 
Honestly, this is what the typical Thanksgiving dinner looks like. So, it looks pretty healthy but a lot is missing. First off, where are the greens? And, secondly, this plate is so high in carbs and sugar, it’s no wonder everyone wants to nap after the typical Thanksgiving dinner.

Registered Dietician, Ani Aratounians weighed in on this typical Thanksgiving plate. “It’s high in carbs and there’s lot of sugar and fat. Especially saturated fat. There’s butter everywhere and hardly any fiber. After eating this plate, you’ll feel stuffed and bloated.” And this doesn’t even take into consideration the pie. Or the wine. Or seconds…or thirds.

The Revised Thanksgiving Plate 
One easy way to totally redo your Thanksgiving plate (and still have all your favorites) is to start with the greens. Put the green beans and the salad on your plate first. Then, add the turkey (aim for the the skinless, breast pieces if you can find them), and then add on your other favorites in small quantities. The calories aren’t exactly low, but they’re much more reasonable than the first plate.

Aratounians’s thoughts on this plate were much more positive. “This is much higher in vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants. Overall, this is much more balanced for your blood sugar with the protein and fiber in the veggies balancing out sugar content. And it’s a much prettier plate too!” She recommends, if you are going to go for seconds (and really, who isn’t), go for the greens and protein (again, ideally, without skin).

I hope this comparison helps you come Thursday! What do you plan to eat on Thanksgiving? Try to plan ahead, serve your food when you're there and walk AWAY from the food table! And watch your alcohol calories too!

A portion of this post was taken from the Team Beachbody blog

Dos and Don’ts for Filling Your Thanksgiving Dinner Plate

I know you’re probably going to eat more on Thanksgiving than you would on most Thursdays. And, I understand. It’s one of my favorite holidays too! I want to eat all my favorites (stuffing, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie…), but I also don’t want to wake up the next morning and feel like I’ve undone my progress. Of course, if you’ve been exercising and eating right, one day won’t undo all the work you’ve done. But, as we head into winter, it’s easy to fall off the horse and really struggle to get back on. So, with that in mind, here are some photos to help you plate your Thanksgiving meal.

The Typical Plate
This is what the typical Thanksgiving dinner looks like. But, after watching reading this and learning some tips, hopefully you'll be able to see where you're going wrong. First off, where are the greens? And, secondly, this plate is filled with so many carbs and sugar, it’s no wonder most people need a nap after dinner. It's not the tryptophan or whatever people like to blame it on, it's the excess carbs and sugars in the meal!

Approximate Nutritional Information for the typical plate:

Registered Dietician, Ani Aratounians weighed in on this typical Thanksgiving plate and said, “It’s high in carbs and there’s lot of sugar and fat. Especially saturated fat. There’s butter everywhere and hardly any fiber. After eating this plate, you’ll feel stuffed and bloated.” And this doesn’t even take into consideration the pie. Or the wine. Or seconds…or thirds. Not to mention these are all of  the calories you should have in ONE DAY not one meal! 

The Revised Thanksgiving Plate

One easy way to totally redo your Thanksgiving plate (and still have all your favorites) is to start with the green veggies. Put the green beans and the salad on your plate first. Then, add the turkey (aim for the the skinless pieces if you can find them), and then add on your other favorites.

Approximate Nutritional Information for the revised plate:

The calories aren’t low, but they’re much more reasonable than the first plate. Aratounians’s thoughts on this plate were much more positive. “This is much higher in vitamin and mineral content, and antioxidants. Overall, this is much more balanced for your blood sugar with the protein and fiber balancing out sugar content. And, I can’t help but notice that it’s a much prettier plate!” She recommends, if you are going to go for seconds (and really, who isn’t), go for the greens and protein (again, ideally, without skin).

I hope that this comparison will help you come Thanksgiving! Let me know, will you consider trying the “revised plate” approach?

Via the Team Beachbody blog