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Give
Thanks
T
an extravagant Thanksgiving
hanksgiving can be
feast. This poses problems
tough. It’s often a time
for both your blood sugar
where over-indulgence
and your waistline.
is supported, even
Avoid over-indulgence
encouraged, amongst
by eating a well-
family and friends. On
balanced meal for
average, people gain
breakfast and lunch
five to 10 pounds dur-
before heading to your
ing the holiday season
holiday table. You may
between Thanksgiving
want to grab a high-
and New Year’s.
protein snack midday,
According to the
Stacy Goldberg
such as whole wheat
Calorie Control
Columnist
crackers and veggies
Council, people con-
with cheese or hum-
sume 4,500 calories
mus or even a protein
and 229 grams of fat
shake 2-3 hours before
on average during
your Thanksgiving meal.
Thanksgiving Day.
• Avoid food poisoning
A typical holiday dinner
by taking the proper precau-
can contain approximately
tions when dealing with your
3,000 calories plus 1,500 calo-
turkey meat. According to the
ries in appetizers and drinks
Centers for Disease Control
before and after the big meal.
(CDC), when the turkey is left
Combined, that’s the equiva-
lent of more than 2¼ times the out at room temperature for
average daily calorie intake and more than two hours, its tem-
almost 3½ times the fat — with perature becomes unsafe as
it moves into the danger zone
45 percent of calories from fat.
between 40°F and 140°F, where
The average person may con-
bacteria can grow rapidly. The
sume enough fat at a holiday
CDC suggests thawing your
meal to equal three sticks of
turkey in the refrigerator, in
butter.
a sink of cold water that is
But there are ways to help
changed every 30 minutes, or
yourself eat better. Here are
in the microwave.
some of my favorite healthy
• It is also recommended to
tricks and tips — you’ll be
cook stuffing in a casserole
thankful for them this coming
dish to make sure it is thor-
turkey day!
oughly cooked, according to
the CDC. Use a food thermom-
STACY’S THANKSGIVING TIPS
eter to make sure the stuffing
• Many people skip breakfast
center reaches 165°F. Bacteria
and lunch in preparation for
52
November 16 • 2017
jn
can survive in stuffing that has
not reached 165°F and cause
food poisoning.
• Focus on nutrient-dense
foods while filling your plate.
Pile on the vegetables (skip-
ping the creamy offerings such
as green bean casserole), add
a cup of fresh fruit, a fist-sized
amount of protein and a small
amount of complex carbo-
hydrates. Fill your stomach
with vegetables and protein
to ensure you’re not running
toward the pecan pie.
• Stay active throughout
your day before you sit down
for a family meal. Wake up
and exercise before piling into
the car to see your family and
friends. Aim for 60 minutes
of cardiovascular exercise on
Thanksgiving morning rather
than just sitting and watching
the parade!
• Avoid dehydration by
drinking water throughout
the day and refilling your glass
during your holiday dinner.
Don’t let yourself be fooled into
thinking you’re hungry when
you may, in fact, just be thirsty.
If consuming alcoholic bever-
ages, be sure to limit the sugary
mixes and heavy caloric beers.
Alternate your alcohol with
glasses of water.
• Forget the football munch-
ies! Be mindful of what you
eat if noshing during the day,
as this can double your caloric
intake on Turkey Day. If you
do snack while watching the
big game, enjoy cut up veg-
gies, roasted pumpkin seeds,
toasted almonds or marinated
olives.
• Put your holiday pump-
kin seeds to use by making a
pumpkin-seed pesto hum-
mus. Mix together plain hum-
mus, roasted garlic cloves,
basil, parsley, pepper, water, oil
and toasted pumpkin seeds in
a food processor. Blend until
smooth. Dip fresh vegetables
such as jicama, carrots or
celery into the hummus for a
protein-packed snack.
• While mashed potatoes
and gravy taste mighty deli-
cious, it’s time to spruce up
your side dishes with a helping
of healthy sweet potatoes.
The sweet potato is a nutri-
tional powerhouse filled with
vitamin A and more fiber than
a traditional white potato.
Skip the marshmallow-topped
sweet potatoes and try roast-
ing sweet potatoes in coconut
oil, sprinkle with cinnamon,
nutmeg and Himalayan pink
salt and squeeze fresh oranges
on top. Roast in the oven for
45 minutes to an hour and
you will have plenty of holiday
sweetness. For added crunch,
top with lower-sugar granola
or roasted pecans.
• Another healthy alternative
(plus a huge calorie and carb
savings) to mashed potatoes
is mashed cauliflower for
added vitamin C. Replace your
traditional mashed potatoes or
even your bread stuffing with
cauliflower as a gluten-free,
low-carb alternative.
• Add a festive, nutrient-
dense salad to your holiday
table with cooked and chopped
butternut squash, kale, fresh
cranberries and feta cheese.
Drizzle honey, olive oil, herbs
and seasonings to add an extra
punch of flavor to your squash
salad.
• Save on fats, calories and
carbs by making a crust-less
pumpkin pie. Pumpkin is
incredibly nutrient dense, low
in carbs and high in fiber.
• The average slice of apple
pie contains 300 calories with
40 percent of calories coming
from fat. Avoid these empty
calories by stuffing baked
apples with gluten-free oats,
honey, cinnamon and pump-
kin-pie spice for a healthy
twist on the traditional apple
pie. Top with granola, seeds,
or chopped nuts for a tasty
crunch. Add a dollop of high-
protein vanilla Greek yogurt
or Truwhip frozen dessert to
make for a sweet treat. •
Stacy Goldberg is a nationally recog-
nized nutritional consultant, registered
nurse and the CEO of Savorfull (savor-
full.com), a Detroit-based company
that sources healthy, allergen-friendly
foods and provides nutrition-consult-
ing. Savorfull is part of the Quicken
Loans Family of Companies.
NO INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH STACY GOLDBERG/SAVORFULL IS INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SPEAK WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER HEALTHCARE
PROFESSIONAL BEFORE TAKING ANY MEDICATION OR NUTRITIONAL, HERBAL OR HOMEOPATHIC SUPPLEMENT, OR ADOPTING ANY TREATMENT OR IMPLEMENTING NUTRITIONAL ADVICE FOR A HEALTH PROBLEM.
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