Easy Tips for Cooking Light on Thanksgiving

I am not in favor of trying to limit what I eat at Thanksgiving but I do not want to gain weight. There are some easy steps to make this meal less caloric and just as enjoyable!

1. Cook a fresh turkey breast

2. Saute the veggies for your dressing in fat free chicken or veggie broth rather than a stick of butter. If you are making corn bread dressing decrease the fat by half in your corn bread.

3. Cook fresh green beans in a tad of olive oil rather than the fried onion green bean casserole.

4. Cook a low starch veggie rather than peas or corn. (Enough starch with the potatoes and dressing).

5. Make a sugar free jello with fresh fruit.

6. Make a fresh fruit salad or a fresh veggie salad.

7. Skip bread

8. Add a bit of neufatel cream cheese to the potatoes rather than gobs of butter.

9. Purchase Costco turkey gravy which is lower calorie than making your own where it is hard to control the fat. Go lightly on the gravy.

10. Make a lower fat pumpkin dessert. You could make a pumpkin mousse or cheesecake in ramekins and ditch the crust which is loaded in calories.

Join me in giving Thanks without feeling a load of guilt. Blessings!

Thanksgiving is Not the Beginning of the Fall

Greetings Everyone,

I know this is a busy day as we prepare for the next 6 weeks of holiday chaos and craziness! First comes Thanksgiving and great food to be thankful for. Then we try to squeeze in as many December parties as we can before Christmas. We finish our splurging with the New Year and perhaps a great Superbowl party. Unfortunately by this time most of us can't squeeze into our pants and are hit with the winter blues! If this cycle sounds familiar, taking a few minutes today can change your outcome. Is there any hope of breaking the cycle and if so what can you do?

1. Remember to stick to the basics and plan. If you are trying to eat 1700 calories a day, stick with your preplanned meals. You know you are going to be eating some extra foods so plan for these. Do not grab hold of the mentality that says "Oh well. I am going to go to a party so I should binge all day. Remember it is about eating right 80% of the time and sane 100% of the time.
2. Try to make your Thanksgiving less about heavy carbs. Add some fresh salads or veggies. Observe the half plate rule that says half of your plate should be salads and veggies. Have the mashed potatoes and dressing but in smaller quantities. Who really needs bread when you have potatoes and dressing so skip bread. Maybe ditch the pre-dinner binge that could be 1000's of calories. You know all of those chips and dip and pistachios you sneak in!
3. Keep eating your regular high fiber breakfast and fruit. It is so easy to go hog wild and add in a cinnamon roll here and there. Try not to do this. They may taste great for a few minutes but the after effects last a long time. They are not worth it. Try making a new egg scramble with fresh veggies or a baked egg casserole with veggies for your special occasions. They are delicious and you will feel a lot better than the weakness brought on by a sugar high.
4. Purchase healthy fruits and veggies for grab and go foods and keep the baking to a minimum. Remember that you can't very easily eat what is not in your cupboard. Cookies are very caloric especially since we tend to grab a couple each time we pass the kitchen. You might actually find you do better having a small piece of pie to satisfy your sweet tooth because you do not crave tons of pie but you crave one of each cookie and since you baked 10 kinds....oops!
5. Do not skip meals. People who eat more meals per day eat less calories by the end of the day. Make sure your meals are very healthy. Most of us do eat more junk food during this time so if you really make your home meals healthy this can help balance out the parties. Keep your processed carbs to a minimum. Go hog wild on veggie soups, chilies, veggies and low fat proteins and skip the dips/chips and the snack foods that are so filled with calories and leave you feeling bloated.
6. The holidays can be a very emotional time for many people. It is important to be aware of times that you are eating for emotional reasons rather than hunger and plan some strategies for eliminating emotional eating. Maybe you can find a friend to call on a regular basis to talk to about your struggles. Food can not fill the hole in your heart that is hurting. As you become more aware of the times you emotionally eat you will be able to avoid those situations or develop other ways to feel better.

Life as a healthy person is about balance. People who are a healthy weight have learned how to add in a few treats and balance that with mostly healthy eating. It starts in your mind first. It is something you must plan for and arrange your life around. Eating is a pleasure and to be enjoyed, so go for it these holidays in a preplanned small way. If you make careful choices you will easily squeeze into your jeans in January. Yeah!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!