Guiltless Eating For Thanksgiving! Did You Know?

Did you know that the average Thanksgiving dinner has over 2000 calories? No one says you can't watch your waistline, be healthy and still look good after Thanksgiving dinner without having to deprive yourself. Here are some of my tips:

Don't go to the Thanksgiving dinner hungry: Just like you are not suppose to go food shopping when you are hungry, we should also eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch on the day to avoid overeating at dinner time. When you are starving you tend to eat faster and more! Don't think of Thanksgiving Dinner as an all-you-can-eat buffet: Rule of thumb, fill half your plate with vegetables, one quarter with a lean meat and the rest with a starch of your choice. Eat slowly and stop when you are full. It takes 20 minutes for the body to register to the brain that the body if full. By stuffing down food real fast it you can definitely over fill yourself before you know it!  After turkey is done, throw away the skin!    I know I know, but the crunchy skin?) Yes go skinless to cut back on fat and cholesterol. Save your appetite and calories for the side dishes and desserts And speaking of side dishes: go for small portions. This way you can sample all the different foods. Moderation is always the key. Definely limit high fat items:  Mashed potatoes are usually made with butter and milk ; green bean casseroles are often prepared with cream of mushroom soup, cheese and milk and topped with fried onions; candied yams are loaded with cream, sugar and marshmallows. Try to control the ingredients that go in to a dish (if you are cooking), but if not simply limit yourself to a smaller helping size. Again moderation is the key. Drink plenty of water: alcohol and coffee can dehydrate your body. Drink calorie-free water to help fill up your stomach and keep you hydrated. If you are the celebrated chef of a Thanksgiving dinner  you have all the control, here's what you do. Substitute high fat ingredients with lower-fat or fat-free ingredients. Leftover Turkey? Instead of turkey sandwiches, throw the turkey into a pot and make some healthy soup using  fresh chunky vegetables. Experiment with new recipes: I did a search on Google and found quite a few delicious healthy low-fat contemporary Thanksgiving recipes. Don't be afraid to experiment! I know tradition is very important to some people but if it's going to be unhealthy for you it's may be time to change things for our future generations!

Here Are Some Healthy Thanksgiving Recipe Substitution Tips

Recipe calls for...			Substitution
	1 whole egg			2 egg whites
	sour cream			low fat plain yogurt or low fat sour cream
	milk			skim or 1% milk
	ice cream			frozen yogurt
	heavy cream (not for whipping)			1:1 ratio of flour whisked into non fat milk (e.g. 1 cup of flour + 1 cup of non fat milk)
	whipped cream			chilled evaporated skim milk or other low fat whipped products such as Nutriwhip or (fat free coolwhip, (one of my favorites)
	cheese			low-fat cheese (please note: non-fat cheese does not melt well if use in cooking or baking)
	butter			light butter
	cream of mushroom			fat-free cream of mushroom

God Bless And Have A Knowledgeable Monday!

Simone:)

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 Disclaimer - The herbal information on this web site is intended for educational purposes only. It is not the intention of the editor to advise on health care. Please see a medical professional about any health concerns you have. Disclaimer - These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. The information on this web site is not intended to prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.