Thanksgiving likely brings up memories of your grandmother’s sweet potato casserole, your mom’s apple pie, and the most delicious turkey you’ve ever had. One thing many people forget to consider this food-centered holiday is the number of calories contained in these delicious dishes. An average Thanksgiving dinner comprised of moderate portions of the meal’s staples plus one glass of wine, a cup of coffee, and dessert is estimated to total nearly 3,000 calories. This is higher than the suggested daily caloric intake for most individuals. To put it another way, the average person would have to walk approximately 30 miles to burn off the whole meal.
Turkey is a lean, low-calorie protein that is often recommended as part of a healthy diet. Green beans are a fantastic option to add more greens to a balanced diet. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are nutrient-rich root vegetables. Where does the big caloric number come from? Portion sizes and fat-filled styles of food preparation are the main culprits in making a traditional meal filled with fresh whole foods into a diet nightmare.
The Biggest Offenders
The first step to taking a more health-conscious approach to Thanksgiving is identifying the most problematic dishes. Here are some standard sides that pack an unhealthy punch.
1. Sweet potato casserole
At 235 calories and 11 grams of fat per one cup serving, it is difficult to defend this old standby. Instead, update your sweet potato recipe by tossing them with canola oil and a pinch of chili powder and cayenne pepper to add a spicy kick to your hearty meal. Prepare and roast sweet potatoes in this fashion and cut the calories for this dish in half.
2. Stuffing
At first glance, stuffing seems like it would be harmless. However, the average stuffing recipe packs 175 calories into just a half cup serving. Instead of using a popular boxed stovetop mix, make your stuffing from scratch. This allows you to use light butter, to increase the proportion of vegetables, and to drastically reduce the amount of sodium.
3. Mashed potatoes
Everybody seems to love mashed potatoes, and no Thanksgiving would be complete without them. However, most Thanksgiving recipes call for loads of butter, heavy cream, and sometimes cheese. Trade the heavy cream in for skim milk and skip the cheese to decrease the calorie count from 160 calories per cup-sized serving to 120 calories for the same amount.
4. Green bean casserole
This creation is relatively new on the Thanksgiving scene and packs around 150 calories per cup. The benefit of it being new is that most dinner guests won’t miss it terribly if it is removed from the meal altogether. If you want a healthy replacement, make your casserole with canola oil, fresh mushrooms, and low-fat milk instead of the heavier, sodium-heavy canned cream of mushroom soup. Another healthy substitution can be made by using wholegrain breadcrumbs on top.
5. Pie
Whether you favor apple or pumpkin pie, just one sliver at dessert will likely cost you 230 to 300 calories. If you’d like to cut your calories after the main meal, cut your piece of pie in half. For an alternative sweet option, try warm apple sauce with a crumbled graham cracker on top.
Tips for a Healthier Thanksgiving
Aside from recipe swaps and eliminating certain high-calorie dishes, there are various things you can do to inject your holiday with a little more healthfulness and activity. Here are seven tips to help you add a healthy twist to Thanksgiving.
1. When choosing your turkey portion, select skinless breast meat instead of dark thigh meat.
2. Keep your portion sizes in check. Your portion of turkey should be about the size of a deck of cards. Aim to have a half cup or less of most side dishes.
3. Go for a walk between eating appetizers and dinner. This will help you avoid lingering around the finger foods when you may not even be hungry. It will also help your metabolism process what you’ve eaten before you sit down to a large meal.
4. Talk some of your family members into signing up for a local “turkey trot” 5k race that many communities hold on Thanksgiving morning. This will give you something to collectively look forward to that isn’t centered around the big meal. And then don’t forget to record your time in the Cathlete 5K Turkey Trot Challenge in the Workout Manager.
5. Eat a healthy breakfast. Whether it’s yogurt with fruit or a bowl of oatmeal, it will help you start the day with something in your stomach that does not immediately run up your calorie count.
6. Don’t take seconds. It’s easy to go for more when all of your favorite dishes are spread out in front of you, but avoid taking seconds to shave 500 or more calories off of your total intake. You can take the second portions that you don’t eat home with you and have them for lunch the next day.
7. Only eat foods that you actually want to eat. When guests try a new recipe or your favorite aunt brings something you enjoyed when you were five years old, don’t feel obligated to eat it.
Regardless of how you spend your Thanksgiving holiday, do your best to enjoy it and savor the meaning behind it. Reducing your calorie count and incorporating healthy activities into your daily habits will help you and your loved ones have many more happy Thanksgivings together.
Sources:
American Council on Exercise, acefitness.org
Spark People, sparkpeople.com
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