Americans prefer to use our national holiday of gratitude to see how much food we can eat in a 24-hour period. We stuff the turkey and then we stuff ourselves. Many people eat well over 2,000 calories during the first serving of their Thanksgiving meal! (That’s more calories than many of us need in an entire day.)
If you’re trying to manage your weight or have diabetes, here are a few tips to enjoy the meal without excess, courtesy of the dietitians at St. Joseph and the American Diabetes Association.
Create a Healthy Plate
Portion control is a problem for many. Not only do we overload our plates with everything on the table but we often go back for second and third helpings. Survey what’s available. Think about which dishes you cannot live without and which you don’t mind skipping. Fill your plate once, and adjust portions to keep your carbohydrate and calorie counts similar to what you would normally eat at meal time. Use the diabetes plate method as a guide to keep portions under control.
Turkey
- High in protein, no carbohydrates. A portion = 3-4 ounces, about the size of your palm.
- Remove the skin. Choose white breast meat (the leanest part of the bird).
- Roast your turkey instead of deep-frying it. Roasting requires little-to-no added fat. Just add seasonings.
Stuffing
- ½ cup usually contains 15-30 grams of carbohydrate depending on the recipe.
- Add extra non-starchy veggies like onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms to your stuffing and use whole grain or 100% whole wheat bread.
- Swap out most of the butter in the recipe with low-sodium chicken broth.
Potatoes
- Potato dishes can really pack in the carbs, saturated fat and calories.
- Keep portions small, especially if they contain cheese, butter, or cream. ½ cup of mashed potatoes usually = 15 grams of carbohydrate.
- No need to add lots of extra sour cream or butter at the table. Season with freshly ground pepper or trans-free margarine. Instead of sour cream, try non-fat Greek yogurt.
- Sweet potatoes are flavorful on their own – no need for a lot of extra sugar or butter!
- If you’re in charge of the potatoes this year, choose a “made-over” potato recipe that uses healthier ingredients. Check out: “Recipes for Healthy Living” from diabetes.org for Sweet Potato Fries, Potato Casserole, or Herb and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes.
Vegetables
- Fill half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables. Choose vegetable side dishes that include roasted or cooked vegetables without creamy sauces.
- Offer to bring a delicious green salad for the occasion and serve the dressing on the side.
- Season veggie side dishes with fresh herbs or onions and garlic. Put out trans-free margarine for your guests to use if they want extra flavor.
- Non-starchy vegetable side dishes are cooked carrots, steamed green beans, sautéed garlicky spinach, roasted brussels sprouts, or broccoli almondine.
Green Bean Casserole
- Like all casseroles, it can be packed with unhealthy fats and calories from ingredients like creamy soup, butter, and fried onions.
- If traditional green bean casserole is a must:
- Use fresh, frozen, or low sodium canned green beans
- Use low sodium, reduced fat creamed soups
- Substitute skim milk, water, or low sodium chicken broth for a portion of the creamed soup.
Cranberry sauce
- Usually has a lot of added sugar and is dense in carbs.
- 2 tablespoons = almost 15 grams of carbohydrate.
- If you absolutely cannot live without it, make sure you use just a tablespoon or two on top of your turkey. A little bit will go a long way!
Pie
- Desserts are extras and portion control is essential.
- Ditch the top crust.
- Use egg whites or egg substitute instead of whole eggs. Most recipes will be unaffected.
- Slightly reduce the sugar (keep at least half the sugar the recipe requests). Or use a made for baking, non-caloric sweetener like Splenda.
- Cut the pie into smaller slices for automatic portion control.
Real Wellness 