November 2011 Nutrition Notes

Healthy Eating Tips for Thanksgiving

By Julie Holbrook MS, RD, LDN

Did you know that the average Thanksgiving meal contains 3,000 calories and 230 grams of fat?  Thanksgiving is once a year, so enjoy yourself while keeping your long-term goals in mind. Here are some hints to help you make healthy choices through the holidays:

• Don’t starve yourself before your Thanksgiving meal. You’ll only show up at the table extra-hungry and you’ll end up eating more calories. Eat a few small meals throughout the day to keep your hunger in check.
• Pay attention to the size of your servings. Aim to make 1/4 of your plate vegetables, 1/4 fruit, 1/4 lean meat and 1/4 grains. Use a smaller-sized plate at mealtime which will help you to consume less calories.

• Feeling full? Stop eating! The average person continues to down hundreds of calories worth of food even after they’re feeling full on Thanksgiving Day. Once you’re full, place your napkin over your plate.

• Mingle away from the appetizers to avoid mindless eating and temptation.

• Get exercise in: If you cannot work out every day add an extra 15 minutes to your walk or run throughout the week. Take a brisk walk or play with the kids after eating to burn calories and keep you moving.

• Turkey breast (skin removed) is very low in saturated fat. If you cook the stuffing separately from the bird, you are more likely to have a moist turkey breast (Stuffing the bird means you need longer cooking times, which may result in dry breast meat) and it saves you calories and fat that the stuffing would have absorbed from the bird.