Thanksgiving is a holiday that is often filled with an abundance of food. From turkey and stuffing to mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, there’s always an assortment of foods on the table to enjoy. Some of these foods might not be the healthiest to choose from, but with a few tips, you can enjoy a healthy meal while still giving thanks and spending time with your family.
Eat Before The Main Meal
It might not make a lot of sense to eat before your Thanksgiving dinner since there will be so much food available, but if you eat a good breakfast or drink water throughout the day, then you likely won’t want to eat as much. Try to include a few proteins in your breakfast so that you have enough energy to get through the day and to give your metabolism a boost in case you do happen to eat more than you had planned. Drink water with your meal as well, as this can help you feel full faster. Even if you don’t have time to cook, a personal chef or catering company can prepare your meal and provide healthy options for you and your family.
Portion Control
It’s all about the size of your portions when you’re trying to watch how much you eat, especially on Thanksgiving. Consider using smaller plates instead of fancy large dishes that you might normally use. Plates with divisions are an idea to consider as well. If you can clearly see what you’re eating instead of pushing all of your food together, then it’s sometimes easier to limit yourself to eating smaller portions. Start by getting vegetables and foods that have higher amounts of protein in them instead of a lot of foods that have carbohydrates and sugars. A few sweet treats are alright, but try to limit how many you get and the amount.
Enjoy Your Meal
One of the things to remember about Thanksgiving is that it’s a time to gather with your family–to talk to each other and to give thanks for the things that you have. While you’re eating your meal, take the time to put your fork down between a few bites so that you can savor the flavors of the foods that you’re eating. This will also give your body time to start the digestion process instead of eating a lot at one time and then feeling too full later in the day. With such a large meal that’s prepared, there will likely be leftovers if you don’t get what you want to eat.
Substitutes
If you’re the one who is preparing the meal, consider making a few substitutions when you’re preparing some of the side dishes. Sugar in a recipe can be exchanged for honey. You can use applesauce and other types of pureed fruits instead of oil in many recipes. This will cut back on the fat content in the recipe while giving the dish a nice flavor. If you’re making dishes with sour cream or large amount of butter, then consider using yogurt. There are plenty of healthier substitutions for people on any kind of diet.
No matter which steps you take to be healthier this Thanksgiving, take the time to enjoy both your food and your time with your family. If you find yourself in need of help this holiday season, don’t forget that an event catering service would be happy to relieve some of your stress.