The holiday season can be a double-edged sword, especially in 2020. Family gatherings with delicious, traditional feasting and drinking are the highlight of the year for many a man 50 and over, but the dreaded holiday weight gain looms large. Fortunately, research has delivered some good news. According to Deborah Balfanz, Ph.D., a professor at Stanford University, “Despite our worst fears, the average American really only puts on one pound during the holiday season (1).” But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make an effort to improve the nutritional quality of our favorite holiday meals. Let’s look at some simple changes to a classic festive dinner that can save your waistline without sacrificing flavor with our piece – 6 Tips For Happy Yet Healthy Thanksgiving Meals.
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Tip #1 – Trimming That Turkey
Turkey meat is a naturally lean source of protein, but the fatty skin and buttery bastings can rack up the calories from saturated fat. Removing the skin helps reduce saturated fat calories, but if you just can’t bear to sacrifice that crispy, golden brown outer layer (and this dietitian doesn’t blame you), focus on your added ingredients instead. Try extra virgin olive oil or an olive oil-based margarine with herbs instead of real butter to season your bird. Use herbs and spices liberally, but go easy on the salt. Fresh thyme and rosemary, for example, go wonderfully with turkey. To shave a few calories off of your gravy, cut the flour by 1/4th and add a little extra water.
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Tip #2 – Downsize Your Mashed Potatoes
The two killers in mashed potatoes are butter and milk. Replacing whole milk with 1% or even 2%, and using a trans-fat free margin (I like the Smart Balance varieties) instead of real butter will cut the calorie and saturated fat content of your potatoes without sacrificing their creamy texture. To boost the nutritional value of your meal, consider making mashed sweet potatoes half of your potato serving for the beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant. A half a cup of mashed sweet potatoes provides approximately three and a half times the amount of beta-carotene the average adult needs per day (2).
Tip #3 – Oh, That Stuffing!
If you like whole-wheat bread, try using it as a substitute for the white bread in your stuffing recipe. Not only will it fill you up faster, but you’ll get the added benefit of the insoluble fiber and antioxidants stripped from white bread during processing. Replace eggs and butter with egg whites and trans-fat free margarine, which will help cut back on the calories and saturated fat. Also, cut the sodium in this dish by using reduced-sodium chicken broth.
Tip #4 – Load up on Vegetables
A simple way to enhance the nutritional quality of your Thanksgiving meal and stave off over-eating is to incorporate lots of vegetables. Green beans, asparagus, Brussel’s sprouts, artichokes, and spinach are all lovely compliments to the traditional Thanksgiving mainstays, and they provide bulk without adding too many extra calories. Lightly sauté your vegetables in a bit of extra virgin olive oil, and reach for the herbs and spices before you reach for the salt shaker.
Tip #5 – Delicious Pie
These can be tricky to make healthier without sacrificing flavor and texture, and maybe, for just one day out of the year, we’d like to indulge a bit without feeling guilty. Some small that can lower the calorie content without taking away the pleasure of a freshly baked pie include: rolling the dough thin, using trans-fat free cooking spray instead of butter to grease the baking sheet, reducing the amount of added sugar in fruit pies to allow for the natural sugars of the fruit to come out during baking, and using low-fat milk and egg whites in fillings that call for whole ingredients. Low-fat, vanilla frozen yogurt is a delicious topping alternative to whipped cream. Eat a slice and wait half an hour before reaching for seconds, as this allows time for satiety hormones to reach your brain.
Tip #6 – Go Easy on Alcohol
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, men can safely enjoy up to two drinks per day (3). “One drink” is defined as 12 fluid ounces of regular beer (5% alcohol), 5 fluid ounces of wine (12% alcohol), or 1.5 fluid ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits (40% alcohol). Most people overindulge at some point during the holiday season, and that’s understandable. No one can be perfect all 365 days of the year. If you’re expecting to over-enjoy this season, avoid sugary, mixed drinks like eggnog, coffee liquor beverages, and creamy martinis or margaritas that often include added chocolate or whipped cream toppings.
Final Thoughts
Spending the holidays with family and friends is certainly something to look forward to, just make sure the festivities don’t equate to weight gain. A little planning and a few steps in preparations can set your mind at ease and allow you to enjoy yourself. We have additional tips here in our blog on Keeping the Holiday Weight Gain in Control, feel free to check it out!
We hope that you’ve found some useful information with our piece – 6 Tips For Happy Yet Healthy Thanksgiving Meals. As always, if you don’t see something here you want us to cover, feel free to reach out to us directly through our Contact page or leave a comment below. Stay healthy, stay happy and stay warm! ~ Glen.
About the Author
Michelle Monroe has been a Registered Dietitian with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics since 2008. She has an array of experience in the field including clinical dietetics, long-term care, diabetes education, food service management, community nutrition, one-one-counseling, and meal planning.
Michelle loves her work and the learning, but most importantly she loves the relationships that she forms with her clients. Being able to help people is one of the most rewarding experiences of her life.
References:
3. https://health.gov/our-work/food-nutrition/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines/guidelines/appendix-9/
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