As with most holidays, it can be a challenging day to stick to healthy options and portion sizes. One side dish that I typically overindulge in is stuffing! Who can resist this fluffy, salty side dish? Pre-boxed stuffing may be the easiest of side dishes to make on Thanksgiving, but could you be including more vegetables in with this side dish? Here is a recipe that I am going to try over the holidays: Kale and Butternut Squash Stuffing. This spruced up version of the classic Thanksgiving side dish can help you eat a few more vegetables during the holiday meal.
Don’t forget that even though we may overindulge on Thanksgiving, it’s not the end of the world! There are still ways to be active and keep your portions in check even on Thanksgiving day. To prepare yourself for the day, here are some Thanksgiving Day tips to help keep you on track:
· Go for a walk. My family likes to go for a walk after our meal so that we don’t slip away into the dreaded “food coma”.
· Use a smaller plate. Start your meal with smaller portions, and if you are still hungry go back for more. It’s always better to start small so that you aren’t tempted to overeat.
· Sign up for a local 5k on Thanksgiving morning. In Eau Claire, the Turkey Trot is a great option for getting in an early morning run.
· Rather than eating a lot of food at one meal, try to space out your food intake so that you don’t overeat in one sitting.
· Play catch. Maybe it’s halftime of your favorite football team’s game so use that time to get up, stretch your legs, and get active!
· Think about your drink. Extra calories can creep up when we aren’t mindful about liquid calories. Also, drinking water before your meal will help fill you up before filling up on too much food.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Have a happy and healthy holiday!
Be Well,
Sarah.