Healthy eating on Thanksgiving
Tips to keep you from being as stuffed as the turkey
Karla Walsh/Daily Staff Writer
Thanksgiving is often seen as the one time of the year it is acceptable to gorge yourself. Although it feels good while you are eating, you may feel awful after eating seconds and thirds of everything on the table.
With a few helpful hints approved by the Thielen Student Health Center's Wellness Center's registered dietitian Judith Trumpy, you can still enjoy all the food and ambiance of the holidays without feeling guilty later on.
Trumpy recommends focusing on your food while eating, not on the football game or other extraneous events. This will keep you aware of how much you are actually eating. She said many people don't even realize they have overeaten until they already have.
"People load up their plates and are not aware of how full they are getting," Trumpy said.
Here are more tips to stop from gorging yourself and eating healthy on Turkey Day:
1. Allow yourself to have a taste of everything you want.
Thanksgiving only happens once a year, and it will spoil the big day if you don't allow yourself what you want, in moderation.
"You won't gain weight from trying a bit of everything," said Mary Tidwell, senior in dietetics.
Enjoy your food and make sure to take time between bites. It takes the body about 20 minutes to register feelings of "fullness."
2. Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, one-quarter with protein and one-quarter with carbohydrates.
This is a good rule-of-thumb to keep in mind for any meal throughout the holiday season. This allows you to have the proper proportions of all the nutrients you need. Trumpy also recommends drinking a lot of water.
3. Try to cut out unnecessary added fat.
The skin can be left on the turkey while it is cooking, then removed after it is done. This will keep the meat juicy while reducing the overall fat content. Turkey is a healthy protein option, especially without the skin.
Mashed potatoes and rolls can often be eaten without the extra pat of butter they are often served with. Creamy mashed potatoes can be made with chicken stock rather than cream and butter to reduce fat as well.
Cream of mushroom soup, which is an ingredient in classic green bean casseroles, can be swapped with a reduced-fat or fat-free version.
4. Take a walk with loved ones.
In between football games your legs need a stretch - and your waistline will thank you. Socializing does not need to be sacrificed for activity. Take a walk around the neighborhood with family and friends. Having companionship will help time pass faster.
If there is snow on the ground, try sledding. You can reminisce about childhood fun and it will encourage others to be active with you.
"Thanksgiving should be a time to focus on family rather than food," Tidwell said.
5. Sit down to dinner remembering there will probably be leftovers.
Reminding yourself that seconds will be around later will keep you from stuffing yourself too much at your big Thanksgiving meal.
Many times people do not eat anything all day before Thanksgiving dinner in order to prepare and "save calories." Trumpy discourages this, because you will be starving by the time you sit down for dinner.
"You will end up eating a lot more if you skip meals," Trumpy said.
Leftovers will often be around for many days, so you can try whatever you were too full to eat on Thanksgiving later.
"Leftovers always taste better, anyways," Trumpy said.
-To learn more about mindful eating, visit
Tcme.org or Mindfuleating.org.
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