Tips for a Healthy Thanksgiving

If your Turkey Day is anything like mine, it’s about three things: family, fun and feasting.

As it should be! 

And if there is one thing that you don’t need ruining your fun it’s a constant nagging worry over calories, diets and over-doing it.

I’m a firm believer that none of that should ever get in the way of your getting pure enjoyment out of life. This year, get mentally and physically prepared to completely enjoy yourself, potatoes, stuffing, gravy and all.

Get Active

DVR the Macy’s Day Parade and save it for later – you’ve got energy to burn.

Start Your Day with Exercise

The healthiest way you can start your day (any day, not just Thanksgiving), is with a little bit of movement and a little bit of sunshine.

The benefits of getting outside and exercising in the morning are boundless.

Physically, it kick-starts your metabolism and gets your blood moving. Natural morning sunlight helps to reset your internal clock, waking you up and providing a boost of energy to carry you through the rest of your day.

Mentally, exercising first thing in the morning puts your head in the right place. If you wake up and the first thing that you do for yourself is remarkably healthy, you’re setting a healthy trend for the rest of your day. 

This year I’m running my first 10k on Thanksgiving morning. I’ll be celebrating with family in Atlanta and almost everyone has signed up to run either the 5k or the 10k Turkey Trot in Marietta, GA. Here’s the kicker: the 10k starts at 7 a.m.! 7 a.m. while on vacation! But I know that if I start my day with a fun run, I’m bound to be in an active mood for the rest of the day.

Find a Turkey Day race near you: Races, November 22, 2018.

Play.

Not all exercise comes in the form of 5k runs and gym workouts. Anything that makes you break a sweat on Thanksgiving is probably a good idea. Play a game of volleyball, or kickball, or flag football. Take the dogs for a hike or play tag with your cousins or nieces and nephews. Have a dance party!

It’s easy to forget that even if you don’t have an interval timer going and your Nike Cross-Trainers on, every step counts. The more steps you take, the more fuel your body burns, the more room you have for turkey.

Do Your Part in Getting Ready for the Day.

It takes a lot of work to put on a feast for a large group of people. Do your part and use up some energy while you’re at it!

Help clean up the dining room and set the table. Do the dishes (including running them from the table to the dishwasher), post-meal. You’ll get the added benefit helping out.

Eat Mindfully

You can, and should, enjoy the feast on Thanksgiving Day. Use these tips to simply enjoy without going over board.

Stay Hydrated.

Don’t forget to drink water simply because it’s a holiday and it’s fairly acceptable to start drinking beer and cider early.

In fact, drink more water than you normally would. Water will keep you full and alert, able to play more and do more. Your belly won’t be empty, tempting you to snack all day and gorge at dinner. And no one likes a post-celebration hangover so add a glass of water between cocktails.

Indulge Wisely.

Thanksgiving is a holiday that revolves around food. The table is set beautifully, you (someone) spend hours in the kitchen preparing beautiful dishes (lots of them), and there’s dessert (can’t miss out on pie!).

Indulge, but be smart about it. Follow these tips at dinner time to enjoy sanely:

• Make a salad so that you can start your meal with something you know is healthy.
• Fill half of your plate with vegetables. Green beans, Brussels sprouts, baked squash, fresh cranberry sauce – the list goes on. But pay attention – casseroles and mashed potatoes are a great place for extra ingredients to hide.
• Fill a quarter of your plate with turkey. If you LOVE the skin, have a little bit but don’t get overzealous – there’s nothing healthy about turkey skin. If turkey isn’t your family’s protein of choice on Thanksgiving (first of all, what? JK), substitute ham, or tofu or whatever is on the table.
• Starches – here’s where it is easy to indulge hard. My tip: choose 1-2 favorites and take small portions of each. If you can’t resist trying a bite of everything, that’s fine, but you have a quarter of your plate left to fill so portion accordingly.
• Take a break between dinner and dessert. There’s no reason to rush from one plate to the next although it may be enticing. *This is a great time to get back outside and revive those active games.* 
• Grab a small plate and be picky about dessert. If there is fresh fruit, fill a portion of your plate with that and grab a small slice of your favorite pie. For most people, this is where the most indulgent part of the meal comes in. My words of advice: ENJOY IT.

Use a Small Plate.

This is a great tip for everyday eating too. The smaller the plate, the smaller the amount of food that fits on it. Even if you are a member of the clean-plate club, this trick will work.

Bring a Dish.

You will get a double dose off goodness with this tip.

First of all, offering to bring or make a dish takes something off of your hosts to-do list. That goes a LONG way when your to-do list is never ending.

But more so, in making a dish or two of your own, you know exactly what goes into it. Look up some creative, healthy dishes that can become part of the feasting tradition. Raw cranberry sauce? Cauliflower mashed potatoes? Roasted squash with apples? Sign me up.

This is a holiday about love and sharing, not Paleo diets and black bean brownies. You know all of those other days you filled up on vegetables, lean proteins and fruit for dessert? Those days exist so that you can enjoy today.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope your day is filled with love and laughter!