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7 Ways to Stay Healthy This Thanksgiving

in The Too Busy to Diet Blog on November 18, 2016

7 Ways to Stay Healthy this Thanksgiving

By now, our children’s Halloween candy is gone and we have put on a few extra pounds. So, what can you do to take those extra pounds off before Thanksgiving and when planning Thanksgiving dinner?

1) Fit exercise in daily for at least 45 minutes. Walking is a good idea because there
are not too many days before cold weather arrives. Take advantage of the cool, fresh autumn weather and the beautiful changing of the leaves.

2) Start planning out your Thanksgiving dinner to make sure that you have lower calorie choices available.

3 ) Make homemade cranberry sauce with artificial sweetener. Generally adding the
sweetener in equal amounts to sugar will work. But adding it by taste works best. Cranberries are low in calories and high in nutrition.

4) Check your weight frequently to make sure that your weight is stable before Thanksgiving. If your weight seems to be creeping up, keep a diet diary since those tracking intake do better with weight maintenance or weight reduction.

5) Apple and pumpkin pies are both naturally sweetened . For those with diabetes or watching their weight, sugar can be halved or artificial sweeteners can be use in equal amounts to sugar. You may need to experiment to get the right taste. Spices added to apple and pumpkin pie add sweetness to the finished product. These include cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.

6) Appetizers before a Thanksgiving dinner are generally unnecessary. With all the food being served one more high calorie item is just too much. A vegetable platter with low calorie Ranch dressing can provide a lower calorie way to begin your holiday festivities and stave off hunger before the turkey is cut and on the table. It will also help with filling you up so you do not overeat at the meal.

7) Pick up low-fat gravy at the grocery. Bottle and can varieties taste great and add flavor and minimal calories to your turkey.

Hope your holidays are great! Eat healthy and keep healthy.
As a media representative of The Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and as a registered dietitian/nutritionist, I thank you for the opportunity to share evidence-based nutrition.

For more information on Healthy Holiday Tips check out Too Busy to Diet at Amazon.com

Jacqueline King, MS, RDN, CDE, FADA
Author Too Busy to Diet