UNITED STATES—Are you ready because the gluttony is about to begin? Yes, the Thanksgiving feast is upon us and Americans are about to enlarge their bellies with plenty of food. However, there are ways to stay healthy without overdoing it this holiday season. For starters, try to eat something before the big feast. I know so many of us hold out eating because we know there is going to be so much food at the big shindig, but that is a major mistake.
Why? Starving yourself is ultimately going to lead to over-eating and that is not something you want to do. It’s not just about being gluttonous, but you place yourself in a situation where you might be feeling a lot worse after the big meal. You NOT ONLY placed too much on your plate, you overate in the process by starving yourself silly.
The thing I have learned about Thanksgiving is that there will always be something left over. When you are fixing that plate the first time around, there is no reason to load up every single item for the feast. Put onto your plate only the items that you plan to eat and leave it at that. I think sometimes as Americans we are not conscious that we tend to waste a lot of food when we should not be doing those things at all. There are so many children and families out there who are suffering from food insecurity, and we are throwing food away because we loaded too much on our plate thinking we could eat it all, when we can’t.
Yes, if you have a bit of giving that you can do to the less unfortunate, it would be a wise thing to do America. There are so many families that need it so if you have some extra stuffing, veggies, potatoes, anything that can be cooked that you’re not using, donate it to your local food shelter so it doesn’t go to waste. With that said, don’t feel the need to put a little bit of everything on your plate. There are going to be dishes that you are not going to want to indulge in. That just happens when it comes to Thanksgiving and there is not much you can change about that.
It simply means eat when you know you want to eat. Just because Aunt Betty crafted a dish doesn’t mean you have to eat it. If it’s not something of your liking leave it off your plate to prevent the waste. It is not rude to tell someone you’re not eating their dish. You can simply point out, “I ate a bit much already, I will try some later.” That is always a simple way to turn down a dish without hurting someone’s feelings.
It is truly easy to pack-on some serious pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas, hell, let’s throw in New Year’s as well. You don’t have to eat at every single outing that you attend. It is ok to have small snacks along the way so you don’t overeat to try to compensate for starving yourself most of the day as you plan to house hop to see family and friends in the process. This doesn’t mean you can’t eat and enjoy the foods you only get every so often, just don’t make yourself guilted to eat.
Yes, you have carbs galore, stuffing/dressing, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, turkey, ham, and a variety of other proteins, and when it comes to sugar, whew the desserts alone will get you in massive trouble. So that means if you indulge, don’t be afraid to exercise a little bit here and there along the way because it helps with managing what you eat along the way. Spend time with family, eat, indulge a little, but remember you don’t want to pay the price later down the line.
Written By Zoe Mitchell
