How to Enjoy a Healthier Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is almost here, and we can practically smell the turkey roasting already. Of course, there's also the stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie to look forward to. After spending all year waiting for our favorite holiday dishes, the last thing we want is someone suggesting we replace everything with cauliflower.

Fortunately, enjoying a healthier Thanksgiving doesn't mean giving up the foods we love. With a little planning and a few simple habits, we can enjoy our holiday favorites without abandoning our usual approach to healthy eating.

Don't Skip Breakfast to Save Room for Dinner

It might seem sensible to skip breakfast when we know a big Thanksgiving dinner is coming. But, arriving at the table absolutely starving can make it harder to recognize when we've had enough. The American Heart Association says we should eat breakfast, rather than saving our appetites for the holiday feast.

Something simple, such as oatmeal with fruit or eggs and toast, can help us avoid getting overly hungry before dinner. There's no reason to spend Thanksgiving morning counting down the minutes until the turkey comes out of the oven.

Make Room for the Foods You Love

If your favorite part of Thanksgiving is the stuffing, have the stuffing. The same goes for buttery mashed potatoes or that green bean casserole you've been looking forward to since last November.

Rather than avoiding certain dishes entirely, think about which ones you genuinely enjoy. The CDC's advice is to enjoy our favorite holiday treats in moderation, especially the ones we don't eat throughout the year. Start with reasonable portions, knowing you can always have more if you're still hungry.

Give Vegetables a Little More Attention

There's plenty of room for nutritious foods on a traditional Thanksgiving table. Roasted Brussels sprouts, green beans, and colorful salads can complement richer dishes without replacing them. The American Heart Association says we should fill about half our plates with fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy eating pattern.

Of course, we don’t need to measure every serving during Thanksgiving dinner. Simply making room for some veggies can add fiber and variety to the meal. Roasted carrots with a little olive oil and seasoning can be every bit as satisfying as another scoop of potatoes.

Slow Down and Enjoy Your Meal

After spending hours preparing Thanksgiving dinner, it's easy to finish eating in about ten minutes. But, slowing down gives us more time to enjoy the food and notice when we're full.

Try putting your fork down occasionally and enjoying the conversation around the table. There's no need to rush back for seconds before everyone else has finished their first helping. And, if you're still hungry afterward, the turkey isn't going anywhere.

Take a Little Walk After Dinner

Once the dishes are cleared, the couch starts looking particularly inviting. There's nothing wrong with relaxing after a big meal. But, a short walk can be a great way to enjoy some fresh air and spend more time with family or friends.

Consider something as simple as a ten-minute walk after dinner. The physical activity can help support healthy blood sugar levels, too. Nobody needs to organize a Thanksgiving 5K. A leisurely stroll around the neighborhood is plenty, and the couch will still be waiting when you return.

Enjoy Dessert Without the Guilt

Let's talk about pumpkin pie. If you've been looking forward to a slice all week, there's no reason to skip it simply because you've already enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner.

An easy way to keep things balanced is to try the dessert flip, where you enjoy a smaller portion of your favorite dessert and fill the rest of your plate with fresh fruit or nuts. That way, you’ll still enjoy that delicious pumpkin pie flavor, with a little extra nutrition.

Either way, the goal is to savor dessert, rather than spend the rest of the holiday worrying about it. Healthy eating is about our overall habits, not whether we had an extra spoonful of whipped cream on Thanksgiving.

There's More to Thanksgiving Than What's on Our Plates

A healthier Thanksgiving doesn't require an entirely new menu or complicated rules about what we're allowed to eat. We can enjoy the traditional dishes we love while making good choices about how much we eat and when we've had enough.

Thanksgiving is an opportunity to enjoy good food and spend time with the people we love. And, if that includes a second helping of Grandma's stuffing, we hope you’ll enjoy every bite. 

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