Thanksgiving only comes around once a year, so why not splurge? Dare I say that you can and still stay fit? There are many healthy updates to the classic dishes for Thanksgiving and still satisfy your desire for traditional favorites. You can use fresh herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables instead of lots and lots of butter, salt and creams. These seasoning options give a splash of flavor without tacking on calories. Now, if you are still going to overabundance on classics, this routine can help you stay on track. 1. Get active the days before the big meal. Increase your steps or lengthen your fitness routine the days ahead of the feast. 2. Eat breakfast. Skipping a meal does not help in saving calories. Your body shuts down burning calories because there is no food available to it. Counter-intuitive, but that’s how the body helps in case of emergencies. So, have a small but satisfying breakfast ahead of the feast. It will help you be more full and eat less at the dinner table.3. Lighten up and use less sugar, butter, gravies and dressings at the Thanksgiving meal. If you are hosting and cooking the meals, try fat-free broth to baste the turkey and make the gravy. Make sure that the “fat-free” option is not packed with sodium (salt). The healthier options should have less fat and less sodium. So, check out the food labels and compare them next to each other. Not all organic items are made the same. Don’t believe me? See it for yourself next time you’re at the grocery store. Take 3 or more products that have food labels, and are organic, place them next to each other and check the calories, fat, sugar, sodium, etc. You’ll be surprised. Now, on to the really good stuff found at our Thanksgiving tables…
White Turkey Meat vs Dark Turkey Meat.
For every 3 ounces of white turkey meat you indulge in this year, you will save 50 calories and 4 grams of fat verses eating dark turkey meat.
Gravy vs Jellied Cranberries.
For each 1/4 cup serving of gravy there is around 30 calories and 1.5 grams of fat, whereas with jellied cranberries there is around 115 calories, but zero grams of fat.
Green Bean Casserole vs Sweet Potato Casserole.
While sweet potatoes will still be filled with good-for-you nutrients, the green bean casserole is lower in calories. For each 3/4 cup, the Green Bean casserole contains 161 calories and 9 grams of fat versus the sweet potato casserole which contains 285 calories and 5 grams of fat.
Pumpkin Pie vs Apple Pie.
A slice of pumpkin pie comes with 316 calories and 14 grams of fat whereas a slice of apple pie comes with 411 calories and 19 grams of fat. Even when you consider topping the pumpkin off with whipped cream, it’ll still be fewer calories than the vanilla ice cream on top of the apple.
PHOTO CREDIT: CHEFMERITO, YOUTUBE, CAROLINALIFESTYLES, HY-VEE