Stay on Track with Healthy Eating During Thanksgiving, and the Holiday Season

A little bit of pre-planning will help you stay focused on healthy eating throughout the Thanksgiving Holiday. Here are some tips to remember for Thanksgiving, and throughout the Holiday Season:

• Don’t starve yourself all day to “save up’ calories for the big meal. Your blood sugar will drop and you will end up going overboard on sweets and starches. Stay ahead of your hunger so you don’t end up ravenous. Have a protein rich breakfast and then a protein snack a few hours before the meal. Keep up with your water intake throughout the day.
• Try to never arrive hungry at a restaurant or party.
• If you are going to someone else’s home and unsure of food choices available, bring a veggie platter and/or a healthy green salad or shrimp tray with you.
• Drink a big glass of water right before the meal. Sparkling water will help to fill you up too! Add a slice of lemon or lime. Mild dehydration can make you think you are hungry, when you only need water.
• Balance your plate with 1/3 healthy starches, 1/3 lean protein, 1/3 non-startchy vegetables and green salad. Fill up on the vegetable and salad first. Save the starches for the last few bites.
• Limit yourself to less than 300 calories from healthy carbohydrates/starches at the meal.
• Portion control is so important! Work on a “2 Bite Rule”- the first two bites taste the best!
• Think … How Healthy can I make this day?
• Try to replace sweet with spicy.
• Eat slowly, at a minimum 20 minutes for a meal.

Keep in mind that Thanksgiving is just one day, so don’t beat yourself up if you have a few little “extras”. Get rid of any leftovers and send them home with your guests … they’ll appreciate it. Get right back on track with your healthy eating plan the very next day! Enjoy the holiday, but don’t let it trigger those unhealthy eating behaviors.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Registered Deititians Lisa Ininns and Mary Ellen Doukakis authored this article