The holidays are when most of us gain weight by overeating. Although most health experts agree that the average American only gains about a pound during the holidays, consistent overeating can develop into long term habits. If you eat healthy during the rest of the year, and want to stay on track at Thanksgiving there are several delicious subs you can make to the normal turkey day staples that will still allow you to enjoy all the trimmings.
Family (at least mine) likes to snack before the big meal. On Thanksgiving most of us don’t eat a meal until the dinner is ready, and then we overeat by as much as 2,000 calories. If you have snacks before the meal, opt for healthy options. Dips are popular at Thanksgiving and fun for those watching the football games. Instead of traditional tips, swap the fatty pre-packaged dips with yogurt. Greek yogurt or just plain yogurt can be seasoned with all the normal tip favorites: dill, onion powder, whatever your family likes!
The first healthy Thanksgiving alternative is homemade cranberry sauce. While the store-bought cranberry jelly is a holiday staple, it is packed with way more sugar than the homemade option. Plus most canned cranberries are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, while homemade can be made with natural alternatives like honey or cane sugar.
One of the most challenging healthy Thanksgiving alternatives is the stuffing. How do you replace that decadent breading with butter and sage and still make it taste good? The key is to swap the white sandwich bread for healthy grains, like whole wheat couscous, farro or quinoa. Make a stuffing with these grains, some onions, squash, spice and sage and your guests will be begging for more of it. Plus it’s a dish you can make ahead of time and doesn’t have to be stuffed into the turkey.
A good turkey needs a good gravy. But gravy can add a lot of fat and sodium to the Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of the packaged, make yours from scratch. Use 4 cups of turkey stock (lower the sodium the better), a few dashes of salt, pepper, thyme and sage, and thicken with a slurry of skim milk and corn starch. The flavors will be in tact, without all the fat.
Everyone loves something sweet after the big Thanksgiving meal. Usually it’s pumpkin or pecan pie. Each slice of pie can be up to 500 calories, not including any ice cream or whipped cream on top. Replace the condensed milk and custards in pies with Greek yogurt to cut out some of the calories and fat. And instead of pecan pie, opt to make pecan tarts, mini versions of the pie that will help control your portions.
It’s always important to remember not to sweat the small stuff during Thanksgiving. If you find yourself in a position where you eat a few unhealthy items on the table, don’t beat yourself up. Just make sure you’re back on the right track the next day and your body won’t skip a beat!
Health Tips by Travel Care Air 