4 Healthy Eating Tips for Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we all know what that means, FOOD! And a lot of it. If you aren’t stuffing your face all day, than are you really doing Thanksgiving right? Although we love the holiday season, with it comes the temptation to over eat. With all of the food, booze, and dessert to be eaten, what are some ways to make sure you don’t overdo it? 

Here are 4 healthy eating tips for Thanksgiving to keep in mind! 

1. Drink plenty of water with your meals. Drinking water before you eat will help you feel more full, preventing you from being able to eat that extra scoop of stuffing. Drinking water during or even after you eat will also help aid in digestion by breaking down your food so your body can absorb the nutrients. And if you are anything like my family, water will keep you hydrated throughout the day so you don’t wake up from that food coma with a hangover too.

2. Replace simple carbs with complex carbs. Simple carbs are sugars and are usually highly processed. These carbs give you the satisfaction of being full for only a short period of time and contain little nutritional value. Some examples of these are white bread, soda, sweets, and juice.  Complex carbs are high in fiber and digest more slowly. This also makes them more filling, which means they’re a good option for weight control. Some complex carbs you might see on the dinner table are whole wheat bread, beans, and fiber rich veggies. So don’t be afraid to add an extra serving of sweet potatoes onto your plate this thanksgiving.

3. Exercise the morning of. Since you know you are going to be eating a lot on Thanksgiving, what is better than giving yourself a little bit of room to work with! Go out and get some exercise the morning before your thanksgiving feast. Many cities and towns have turkey trots (5ks) or some sort of race going on. Not only will you burn some extra calories, but working out has been proven to make you feel less hungry throughout the day.

4. Enjoy the day. When it comes down to it, thanksgiving is about being with family and eating good food. Maybe you planned on thanksgiving to be your cheat day, or you will spend extra time in the gym over the next few days. Whatever it is, just don’t stress out about the number of calories you consume on thanksgiving. It’s always a good idea to be mindful of what you are putting in your body, but one day will not ruin all you have built.

Remember these 4 tips this Thanksgiving so you can stay on track with your fitness goals