Healthy Eating at Thanksgiving

Many of us face a challenge at the holidays – how to enjoy ourselves without gaining unwanted pounds in the process.  The average weight gain between Thanksgiving and January 2 is a whopping 7 pounds!  If you would like to avoid this, here are a few tips:

1. Avoid sugar.  With all those cookies around, this is easier said than done.  But try your best.
2. Don’t show up at the Thanksgiving dinner table absolutely starving.  You should eat a healthy lunch if the feast is that evening; eat a good breakfast if it is at noon.
3. Drink up to 8 glasses of water on the day of the big meal.
4. Work out at the gym, or take a good hike, before sitting down at the dinner table.  Working out up to 90 minutes before the meal will keep your metabolism raised for the next 4 hours.
5. If you’re the chef, make sure the spread is a healthy one.

If you need some ideas for preparing a healthy Thanksgiving dinner, try one of our cookbooks, such as “EatingWell Comfort Food Made Healthy:  the classic makeover cookboo