Posted by forlife | Posted in Nutrition & Education
Thanksgiving Day Tips to Avoid Overeating
* Eat a healthy breakfast such as oatmeal or whole grain pancakes. Be sure to include lots of fresh, dried or frozen fruits. This will fill you up and give yourself fuel for the busy and sometimes stressful day.
* Get moving! After the turkey is in the oven, take the dogs and the kids for a walk or ride at the local park or trail.
* If you are cooking, be sure to include some whole grain bread in the stuffing or serve whole wheat rolls with the meal in place of white breads.
* Plan to serve, or offer to bring, a tossed salad such as spinach or mixed greens with a vinaigrette dressing on the side. Adding fruit such as orange segments and nuts like smoked almonds make a salad appealing to everyone. By starting with a salad, you will feel full sooner and not need to eat so much of the fattier foods.
* Instead of adding marshmallows and brown sugar to sweet potatoes, try simply baking the sweet potatoes and eating them without all the added calories and sugar. They are very sweet on their own.
* Load your plate with turkey and vegetables and just take a little portion of stuffing, potatoes and gravy. This will save lots of calories and fill you up with much healthier foods.
* Save room for dessert. You know you’re going to have some, so plan for it. Try to wait for a while after dinner to eat dessert so that you can really enjoy every bite. Have a small portion and skip the guilt. After all, if you’ve followed these tips, you’ve eaten plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains so there’s no need to feel bad. If you still want more sweets try some fruit salad with whipped topping.
* Take it easy on the alcohol. It’s easy to add lots of extra calories by drinking beer while watching football or having a couple of glasses of wine with dinner. Don’t go overboard and be sure to drink lots of water or club soda in between alcohol containing beverages.
*Instead of an after dinner nap, try about another walk or a lively board game or interactive video game.
* Enjoy the day and have fun!
