3 Tips for a Healthy and Tasty Thanksgiving Dinner

A look at what to eat and what to skip at Thanksgiving Dinner, whether you’re a guest or host.

As soon as the Halloween candy dish is empty, waistbands around the US begin to get a little tighter in anticipation for the food fest of Thanksgiving dinner, and who can blame them? The holidays are forever a reminder of food, family and fun! It is a time to gather together and celebrate a year of memories. It is a time to remember those and pay homage to one more year of thanks and gratefulness. Gluttony can sometimes come with those celebrations and before you know it, those extra helpings of mashed potatoes and turkey can make that gathering last far longer than a few hours. Those pounds can stick with you for years. But you can change all that this year with a few healthy choices. It all comes down on what to eat and what to skip.

Thanksgiving dinner, family, holidays and such are always going to be gateways into loads of delicious foods and far too often we use them as excuses to indulge in fattening, caloric laden concoctions that stretch the waistbands of our jeans but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Tip #1: Healthy can taste just as scrumptious.

Sometimes the smallest tweaks to the menu can have the biggest impact. Healthy can taste just as scrumptious. Let’s take mashed potatoes. Those delicious, fluffy little mounds of goodness can pack an incredible punch of carbohydrates, fat from the butter and cream and even a staggering amount of sodium. This year try baking a delicious butternut squash and adding a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. When the squash is soft, scoop, fluff and serve with just a dash of sea salt. The natural sweetness of the squash will wow your family and guests and it is chock full of vitamins! You’ve made a healthy switch!

Tip #2: If it is covered beneath a sauce then it should probably remain there.

The dishes to be on the lookout for are the ones that hide behind sauces. A good rule of thumb is this: if it is covered beneath a sauce then it should probably remain there. Good food, healthy food does not hide behind anything. It stands on its own. That goes for meat and vegetables. Look at that proud stalk of broccoli! It does not need to be swimming in cheese sauce. Cut the cheese and you suddenly have a star on your hands and you have saved yourself some time on the treadmill. And if you absolutely must have Hollandaise sauce with your asparagus then do so sparingly. Try dipping your fork in the sauce and then spearing the asparagus. Don’t have the poor, green stalks swimming uphill in a yellow river of sauce.

Tip #3: Small choices can often make the largest impacts

Small choices can often make the largest impacts and this even extends to your drinks. Try limiting your pre-dinner cocktails and switching to a sparking water with an aromatic bitter. Bitters have become the “new” flavoring and can be found in a huge variety of flavors but be warned! They are used sparingly because they are very high alcohol content, just a few drops go a long way.

From the turkey to the stuffing, the gravy to the beans, you have opportunities at every dish to pick better, healthier choices. You may be tempted to take that calorie laden spoonful because it is Thanksgiving but keep in mind that while it may only be one day, it is still going to stick around longer than you think. Eat smart and feel better. You will still enjoy the family gathering and you will not have to face a tighter waistband come the first of December. Thanksgiving dinner, family, and holidays are always great fun but eat smart!