November 22, 2004
Hello! This week is Thanksgiving once again. For many this means a big feast filled with comfort foods. The burning question in your mind may not be: "How can I make Thanksgiving dinner more healthful?" Then again, you may be wondering just that. "How can I make
Thanksgiving dinner more healthful? With a main dish of lean poultry
and a traditional dessert made from squash, you wouldn't think
this would be so difficult. But estimates of the calories in the
traditional Thanksgiving dinner range from anywhere to 2,000 to
4,500, depending on what you put on the plate. Given that people
of average size who get moderate activity should average between
1,600-2,400 calories per day, by any standards this is a hefty
meal." Counting calories may not be what you are looking forward to this holiday season; it also may not be entirely necessary. Just a few things to keep in mind: "The secret to having
your cake and eating it too is moderation. Make sure you create
a plan ahead of time. We all know we will eat a little bit (or
in some cases a lot)
more than we typically do Thursday; so, mathematically we have
to allow for this meal. If you want to maintain your weight and
still eat that meal, you have to exercise ten minutes more each
day this week to justify the additional calories you will be consuming.
... Another good behavior is to eat normally before the 'big meal.'
If you starve all day in an attempt to save up all the calories
for the one meal, you will most likely be so hungry by the time
you sit down that you will overeat. ... Remember, controlling
your weight through the holidays is all about moderation, not
deprivation. Once you begin to feel like you are depriving yourself,
you will begin to binge. It's okay to taste all of the delicious
food you look forward to this time of year: That should be enough
to satisfy any craving." Exercise ten extra minutes a day, don't starve yourself beforehand, and it's okay to taste a little bit of everything. That doesn't sound like too much to ask for a healthier day filled with less guilt. Also, try not to think of Thanksgiving as an isolated day. Try to balance your food intake over a few days. "Connie Mobley,
Ph.D., an associate professor at The University of Texas Health
Science Center at San Antonio, says even the strictest dieters
can indulge in the holiday feast -- if they just balance their
calories like a bank book. 'You can actually budget for your Thanksgiving
dinner -- eat less the day before, so your calorie intake will
even out over a two-day period,' Dr. Mobley said." This doesn't mean you should go into the meal starving and ready to inhale two days worth of calories in one sitting. "Don't skip meals.
This will just make you hungrier, you'll eventually eat more and
your metabolism will slow down. Drink lots of water to help satisfy
hunger and keep you energized. Limit alcohol consumption to avoid
empty calories and a loss of inhibition. Get extra exercise, enough
sleep (7-8 hours is optimal) and eat plenty of nutritious fruits
and veggies." Drink lots of water, and eat healthy snacks. It's not just about the quantity, but the quality of the food is also important. "Still, there's
lots of potential for making Thanksgiving dinner lighter and much
more healthful. Turkey is one of the leanest meats around. Both
sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie are great sources of beta carotene.
White potatoes, even if they're mashed and served with gravy,
aren't a bad source of potassium...." Even with all those healthy foods on the table, 3,000 to 4,000 calories of anything is not recommended for most people in one meal. "Are you ready to
start a new Thanksgiving tradition? ... With some basic changes to how each dish is prepared, you can keep each of the traditional foods, but only keep a fraction of the calories and fat. For those seeking alternatives to the traditional turkey; or for those wanting to try new things: "...You don't have
to include a stuffed turkey with your Thanksgiving fare. Instead,
try a meatless meal that celebrates the season's harvest -- fresh
fruits and vegetables and hearty whole grains. This menu has a
total of 926 calories, 23 grams of fat and 515 milligrams of sodium
per serving." Links to healthy (both
traditional and vegetarian) Thanksgiving recipes can be found
at the above link. To find out how these recipes compare to those
they are intended to replace, you can view their "Nutritional
breakdown per serving" at: Questions of the Week: Please email me with any ideas or suggestions. I look forward to reading what you have to say. Cindy |
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