Eating Well at Your Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and that means lots of family time, and lots and lots of food. But you don't have to be nervous about spoiling your healthy eating habits because of the holidays. You can enjoy all the food and still stay on the right track! 

I won't be having a normal Thanksgiving this year. I am actually meeting my parents and brother out in Arizona for a few days for vacation and to celebrate Thanksgiving. Our dinner is going to be at a seafood restaurant so I don't believe I will be having a regular Thanksgiving meal. However, yesterday my friends and I celebrated Friendsgiving. We made turkey tenderloins, stuffing, green beans, masheb potatoes, and an apple crisp pie. The dinner was absolutely delicious and I am so happy we were able to get together before we all go home for a few days.

If you're still trying to think of things to add to your menu for Thursday, https://diningwithadinergirl.blogspot.com/ has some great ideas and tons of tasty recipes to be sure to satisfy everyone. And she's my mom too!

So now to the good part; how to make sure you're not going to go overboard at dinner.

Let's start at the appetizer- Try everything! Don't feel like you have to limit or cut things out because you're watching what you eat. Get a plate, put a little bit of everything on it and then slowly munch on it 'til dinner time. By putting it all on your plate and portioning it out first, you will make sure that you're not over-stuffing yourself before the main course. And having only a little bit of the heavier appetizers won't throw you off at all.

Main Course-
When selecting your piece of the turkey, go for breast meat. You'll be getting  lots of protein and cutting out the fat that is in the thigh and drumsticks.
Vegetable- It's best to just go with vegetables that were steamed or pan fried. I know green bean casserole is mighty tasty, but it is full of saturated fat and lots of calories. Choosing steamed vegetables will leave you room for other sides and for dessert, where the casseroles will fill you up fast.
Potatoes- If you normally have mashed potatoes and baked potatoes at your feast, choose the baked potato with the skin still on. The skin of the potato is full of vitamins and mineral and fiber too, which will aid in digestion. If you only have mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes, grab yourself about a fist size worth of potatoes and skip all the butter. Instead of butter, put gravy on them. It is more nutrient dense than butter is, and a lot less fatty and calorie heavy.
Biscuit- If you really, really want to add a biscuit to your plate, try to save it to be the last thing eaten. Use all your calories for the stuff that is nutrient dense, and if you're still hungry at the end, then indulge in the biscuit or roll. They are often high in fat and empty calories, which could have been ate through more vegetables and poatoes.
Stuffing- This is my favorite part of the meal. I love the stuffing my mom makes, especially because she puts sausage and mushrooms in it. Start with about a half a cup on your plate, and if you're still hungry after you finish everything else, go back and get more.

Dessert-
Pie has always been a staple in my house for Thanksgiving, especially apple pie. When cutting your pie, or even piece of cake, cut your piece to about 2 inches wide, or the size of your pinky finger. You can still enjoy your dessert without spending 1000 calories on it!  If you have cookies, limit yourself to about 2 small 2in diameter cookies. You can enjoy dessert and still feel great too.

Basically what I am trying to get at with this post, is to listen to your body. Eat slow and when you start to feel full, stop eating. Your body and brain knows when you've had enough to eat. If you're still hungry after your first plate, grab a little more. Just be conscious of what you're putting on your plate and how much you're eating and then you won't feel bad the next day.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!