A Healthy Thanksgiving Away From Home?

Does healthy Thanksgiving sound like an oxymoron to you? This meal of gratitude, as it began in 1621, was about appreciating the life-giving nutrition that the Pilgrims knew was not granted. In the United States, food is now a commodity we have in abundance. The problem is that the food supply as a whole is not full of health as was the case in 1621. The message that we would like to continue to resonate is that our diet is one of the pillars of our health. One that is rich in whole plant-based foods provides us with a foundation for vitality. Thanksgiving is not a time to deviate from this practice, rather it is a time to find gratitude for the opportunity that we have to support our own well-being.

So how can you support this endeavor as a holiday guest? We know that not all Thanksgiving hosts would prepare our ideal meal, but we feel fairly confident that you can follow some tips to treat your body more kindly. An average Thanksgiving meal contains between 2,400 and 4,000 calories. If that sounds a bit excessive, it's because it is. The recommended daily intake of calories is 1,600 to 2,400 for women and 2,000 to 3,000 for men. Of course, this range depends on a person's size and activity level, but in any case your typical Turkey day meal either hits or far surpasses your body's need for calories. And this is just one meal!

On that note...

* Do not skip the rest of the days meals to save up for the feast. In fact...we think you should do quite the opposite. Eat a normal breakfast and lunch so you don't come to dinner feeling famished.

* Take a walk during the day and make it a social event with the whole group! Not only will you be maintaining your exercise program, but it can stabilize blood sugar and make you less inclined to want to over-indulge at dinner.

* Don't even look at soda and other sugary beverages.

* Cut your alcohol consumption to an ounce or 2 of wine, 4 ounces of beer and half a shot of hard alcohol and savor it!

* Eat with all of your senses by allowing yourself to appreciate the visual appeal, the aromas and finally the taste and texture of the food in a slow and mindful way. Digestion starts even before the food hits our lips, so allow for each step to take place slowly so our body can fully digest and assimilate the nutrients. In this way, you will also allow the satiety hormones to kick in before you have filled every square millimeter of your stomach.

* Be social! Enjoy the conversation and connection to those who you are with. You will decrease the quantity of food by simply spending more of the time being focused on the whole experience of sharing time with others. Make eye contact when you are listening as well as talking.

* And last, but not least...know the portion sizes of the dishes. Got it? Now cut that in half...at least. Since, the number of dishes far surpasses the number you would have at a typical dinner, you need to scale down the portion to not feel like a lead balloon. Ideally, this dinner should not amount to much more than a typical dinner, so aim for between 600 to 1,000 calories depending upon your gender and activity. Here are some typical servings and calories on a Thanksgiving spread:

4 oz egg nog - 170 cal
4 oz wine - 110 cal
1/4 cup mixed nuts - 220 cal
3 oz ham - 150 cal
3 oz turkey - 160 cal
1/2 cup stuffing - 180 cal
1/2 cup cranberry sauce - 180 cal
1/2 cup mashed potatoes - 150 cal
1/2 cup sweet potatoes - 150 cal (without the marshmellows!)
1/2 cup green bean casserole - 110 cal
1 dinner roll - 110 cal
1 pat butter - 40 cal
1 slice of apple pie (1/8 of 9' pie) - 410 cal
1 slice of pecan pie " " - 480 cal
1 slice of pumkin pie " " - 180 cal
1/4 cup whipped cream - 40 cal
1/2 cup ice cream - 140 cal

When we add up the total here, it comes to 2,870 calories. Now maybe you won't eat all this, but it's not hard to see how the average Thanksgiving dinner can get out of hand and you end up feeling like you can't move.

So why not take a different approach? Focus on the gratitude for sharing nourishing food in good health with people that you are fortunate enough to be surrounded by. It will change your whole experience and put the old meaning of the holiday back in its' rightful place!