I love everything about Thanksgiving; being surrounded by family and friends, my mom’s cranberry cookies, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, Black Friday shopping, the list is endless. But as I look forward to celebrating my holiday in sunny Florida with palm trees and 90 degree weather, I can’t help to think about the inevitable–returning to DC feeling like a stuffed turkey. In the spirit of staying healthy and keeping on track with everyone’s New Year’s Resolutions (yes, those are coming up again soon too) I would like to offer some easy tips to have a great holiday.
- Get off to a good start. It’s always a bad idea to skip a meal, especially on Thanksgiving. If you arrive at the dinner table hungry, you are more likely to overeat and less likely to make healthy choices.
- Gobble Gobble. If you do eat the turkey (my vegetarian self usually abstains), go for the white meat, not only is it leaner, it has less cholesterol than dark meat. And of course, go easy with the gravy – just remember – a little bit goes a long way.
- Don’t Feel Stuffed. I love Martha Shulman’s Recipes for Health in The New York Times. Last week, she featured creative healthy stuffings that are not only good for you but taste good too. Why not try red rice and quinoa stuffing with mushrooms and kale or red and black rice stuffing with lentils, almonds and cranberries? Try something new and get creative.
- Potato, Potatoe. There is no need to eat the mashed potatoes AND the sweet potato casserole. Limit yourself to one starch or take a smaller portion of each.
- Get Active. This Thanksgiving, my sister and I will be running Miami’s Turkey Trot 5K to kick off our day, not only are we getting off of the couch, but we are spending quality time together (isn’t that what this holiday is all about anyway?) If a 5K isn’t your thing, take a walk after dinner, or get the family together for an afternoon game of tag football.
Thanksgiving isn’t about the food we eat; it’s about how we spend the day with the people we care about, and giving thanks for the good in our lives. The truth is the healthiest way to spend your holiday is surrounded by the people you love.
