Healthy Thanksgiving Options

Thanksgiving is among the holidays wherein people tend to overindulge, along with Christmas. With the stuffed turkey filled to the brim, most people would make every effort to make it in time for the Thanksgiving dinner and to be with their families. It is a time for most families to reconnect and to see their loved ones again, after going on without seeing them for months.

That being said, most people would therefore make every effort to make the cook feel appreciated. Second and third helpings become the norm, what with most people making room for pie and dessert afterwards. If that’s not enough, then the turkey is best complimented by an alcoholic concoction served throughout the meal.

At this point, it would leave little room for wonder that most people feel bloated after a thanksgiving dinner, and would often feel sluggish and tired on the succeeding day. Aside from avoiding overeating, this can be avoided by serving a healthier alternative to the traditional thanksgiving dinner.

Here are some healthy Thanksgiving options to help you indulge without feeling any guilt.

• Choose white meat – Go for the turkey breasts instead of the dark meat, as doing so would cut back your calorie and fat intake. In fact, there are only 7 grams of fat and 115 calories in white meat, in comparison with the 160 calories and 11 grams of fat in the dark meat.

Not convinced? You can even go for a healthy chicken dish in lieu of the turkey. Not only is chicken cheaper, it also has a lot of choices for white meat!

• Be tricky about dessert – Few things say “traditional” as loud and clear as a pumpkin or an apple pie. These two pies are among the Hall of Famers when it comes to American tradition, and few Thanksgiving dinners are complete without them. However, did you know that when it comes to your calorie intake, one of these two flavors have a slight edge?

While the apple pie is delectable, particularly when served with a wallop of vanilla ice cream on top, it actually packs 411 calories and 19 grams of fat per slice. Now, the pumpkin pie and the whipped cream on top can by no means compare with a vanilla ice cream, but a slice of pumpkin pie is only 316 calories, and it contains only 14 grams of fat. How’s that for a slimmer dessert?

• Laden on the topper – Now this may come as a shocker, but try to read up to the last line. When it comes to the choices for turkey topper, most families would prefer jellied cranberries over gravy. Unfortunately, the latter is actually the healthier option as it only has 30 calories and 1.5 grams of fat per serving, in comparison with the 110 calories in a serving of jellied cranberries. How so? Remember how it tastes – and remember how the sugars can add up to your calorie intake.

These are just some of the healthier alternatives to your traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, what you put on the plate doesn’t matter as much as the conversations you would have with your family, but it is always a great meal if the food complements your conversations. Till next time!

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