Let’s Talk Turkey About Gobbling on Thanksgiving!
A registered dietitian has some valuable tips on what to do in the Eat-A-Thon holiday season that kicks off with Thanksgiving dinner and lasts until New Year’s Day. Studies show the average American can gain up to two pounds during the holiday stretch.
| 25 Nov 2024 | 04:40
Tender, juicy roast turkey - the main attraction - with old-fashioned gravy, cranberry sauce, smashed potatoes, baked green beans, and more offers quite a feast. But if you enjoy the food feast intelligently you can avoid the holiday weight gain. (
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Manhattan-based dietitian Chelsea Amengual offers advice on how to enjoy Thanksgiving without over indulging. (
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Oh no, waist-watchers: here comes Thanksgiving dinner, the Big Kahuna of diet-busting meals! It is the unofficial beginning of The Great American Eat-a-Thon, the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Studies have even been done about the phenomenon: the average American gains a pound or two during this food free-for-all. It doesn’t sound like much, but a lifetime of overeating during the holidays can really put on unwanted pounds and affect your health.
Is there any way to avoid becoming a Thanksgiving calorie casualty? Definitely, says Chelsea Amengual, a registered dietitian in Manhattan who specializes in weight management https://midtownnutrition.net/about-our-nutritionists.
“I think one of the biggest challenges is the widely accepted idea that we are supposed to overeat and that you don’t have another choice. There may be great food involved that you might only have access to once a year, but you don’t have to leave the table feeling sick.”
That doesn’t mean you can’t have dessert, though. Says Amengual, “A healthy diet means having appropriate amounts of a variety of foods, mostly fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, and also treats sometimes, especially during the holidays.”
Determined that your Thanksgiving dinner not become a caloric car wreck? Here are some techniques suggested by Amengual for successfully navigating the big meal:
*Eat breakfast! If your Thanksgiving dinner will be at 3:00 p.m., make sure to eat earlier in the day. If you go in starving, you are almost certain to overeat.
*Prioritize the foods that truly are unique, like Grandma’s stuffing, which you can only enjoy once a year. Push aside those dinner rolls you could have any day for something that’s really special.
*Relax! It’s not a race. Pace yourself and enjoy the meal.
*Remember, the holidays are a time-honored way of connecting with the important people in your life and giving thanks for what you have. Spend time talking with your loved ones at the table.
*If your host offers what seems like a dozen varieties of pies, come to terms with the fact that you can’t have all of them. Have a little sliver of this one and a little sliver of that one.
*If you are offered a doggie bag, have a small amount of it in moderation spread out through the next few days.
*If you are the one hosting, and if you send people home with leftovers, feel free to save some for later. Make doggie bags for yourself and enjoy some of that holiday magic in moderation throughout the week!
*If you’re in charge of the meal, make sure to have some scrumptious vegetable and fruit options on the table. It will help you keep your meal more balanced, and other health-conscious diners will thank you for it, too.
*Thanksgiving is only one meal! If you pass on a dish or two, it’s not as though you won’t have the opportunity to enjoy other treats during the holiday season.