Thanksgiving Healthy Eating Tips

The holidays are here again as are the joys and challenges of holiday eating.  The dilemma faced by those who are watching their weight is to have fun with friends and family without jeopardizing all the hard work that has gone into reaching a healthier weight.  With this in mind, consider the following Thanksgiving Healthy Eating Tips.   

Turkey   

ü  Bake the dressing in a casserole, don’t stuff the turkey; it absorbs too much fat. 

ü  Sauté onions & celery in a small amount of butter/margarine (1 Tbsp.).  Use fat-free chicken or turkey broth for additional moisture. 

ü  Roast the turkey on a rack so the excess fat drips away  

ü  Use a fat separator for roasting pan juices & skim off all fat before making gravy OR use a gravy mix.  

ü  If you prefer, choose another type of lean protein to replace turkey 

Potatoes   

ü  Mash the potatoes with canned, evaporated skim milk & chicken broth.  HOLD THE BUTTER! 

ü  Use orange or pineapple juice thickened with corn starch as a glaze for carrots or  sweet potatoes to replace brown sugar, maple syrup or marshmallows. 

Pumpkin Pie   

ü  Make your pie with canned, evaporated skim milk. 

      ü  Use Splenda to replace the sugar in the recipe OR use half Splenda and half  brown sugar to enhance the taste of the pumpkin.   

Miscellaneous  

ü  Sprinkle hot vegetables with butter substitute i.e. (Butter Buds, Molly McButter)  and/or dill for flavor. 

ü  Use low-fat canned cream soup for any casseroles that call for cream soup   

ü  Use sugar-free fruit spread on rolls versus butter/margarine or better yet SKIP THE ROLLS given the abundance of other bread-type items such as dressing, mashed potatoes, yams, etc.  

ü  Use a rating system before eating Thanksgiving dinner.  Rate each food that is passed from 1-10, with 10 = WOW and 1 = not appealing.  Eat only the 9’s and 10’s & pass up the rest!  

ü  Don’t skip meals before the big meal on Thanksgiving.  You will be too hungry and may overeat.  

ü  Treat Thanksgiving as a regular day…3 meals and 2-3 small snacks   

ü  Begin the meal with a salad or other low-fat vegetable dish  

ü  Go for a long walk after dinner!!  

And most importantly, if you eat more than you should, realize that it is JUST ONE MEAL during the week.  Get back on track the next day and let go of the guilt!!

 Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

Just wanted to add a couple of things I do.  Cook onions and celery in the microwave till just tender and then make stuffing with chicken broth and cook in a crockpot.  Frees up oven space too.  Happy Thanksgiving!  Sue

Sue, That is a great idea; I think I will try it on Thursday!  I also like that it frees up precious oven space. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Great idea...do you cook it on low for the whole day like the turkey? 

I use those ideas every day.  Why not eat protein first on Thanksgiving?  thanks, Linda

Thank you for the tips!  I had already planned on some of the SF Jam for1/2 a roll maybe. I am making a SF FF pumpkin cheesecake using splenda.  But could not think of a healthier way for the sweet potatos! We have reservations at bowling alley for the evening plus the walk!  And will have my protein pudding (home made SF FF) along for snacks!

Melania, thank you so much!  I am printing this out and taking copies to my Weigh****chers meeting tomorrow nite.  thanks so much!!

great ideas, thanks Melania, Happy Thanksgiving!

I like my sweet potatoes roasted.  Cut them into 1" cubes, toss in some cinnamon and splenda and a bit of olive oil.  Roast in the oven until tender and a bit crispy.  Although - so early post-op, I won't be having any of these this year, but this is how I normally eat mine.  :-) Pam

Pam, I too love any kind of roasted potatoes with olive oil and will certainly try your recipe soon!  Just think, next Thanksgiving you will be able to enjoy a bit of everything.  Happy Thanksgiving!