Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and like all holidays, you may be planning for success or already dreading the "failure" when it comes to making healthy choices.
You've seen all the usual tips for eating healthy at holidays, so I'm not going to repeat those. Instead, I'm giving you some unconventional advice.
Allow Indulgences
When we tell ourselves we can’t have something, what does it do? It makes us want it even more.
Allowing yourself a small indulgence or two might be just what you need to get through a holiday meal mostly unscathed. If you tell yourself you can have that slice of pecan pie at the end of the meal, you might be able to pass on that extra roll or second heap of mashed potatoes.
Pick one or two treats ahead of time that you’ll allow yourself. And make it measurable. Don’t just say, “I can have pecan pie.” Make it, “I can have one slice of pecan pie.” Otherwise, if you’re like me, your sneaky inner voice will tell you, “Well, you said you could have pecan pie. You didn’t say how much.”
Bring a Dish
Do you have a favorite side dish you enjoy at the holidays? Offer to bring it to your family meal.
The secret here is that you can then control the ingredients and make some healthier choices than might otherwise be included.
Do you love mashed potatoes, but your family douses them with fake butter substitutes? Volunteer to make or bring them. Then, you can use real butter and control the amount. Make garlic mashed potatoes or parmesan sage mashed potatoes, so there is added flavor. Make rustic mashed potatoes by leaving little bits of peel still on the potatoes for some extra nutrient value.
Or maybe you bring the pies and can make them fresh from scratch and use real ingredients instead of eating the preservative-laden ones your aunt brings from the grocery store.
Portion Control
Other holidays are different, of course, but Thanksgiving actually tends to be heavier on healthy foods. Turkey, potatoes, green beans, corn, squash, cranberries – these aren’t terrible for you (depending how they’re prepared, of course).
The main issue with Thanksgiving is less the foods themselves and more the amount you eat.
I know as well as anyone that portion control is tough! I mostly eat pretty healthy foods, but I eat too much of them.
Anything you can do to limit the portion size will help.
Maybe your family has both large and small plates. Choose a small plate.
Fill more of your plate with nutrient-dense foods like vegetables and turkey, so you eat more of them than the stuffing and white bread.
Don’t overfill your plate. Finishing your plate has as much mental effect as your stomach telling you you’re full, even if there’s less on the plate.
The Main Thing
The most important thing to remember, however, is that one meal or even one holiday weekend does not have the power to ruin your health.
You might not be as strong as you’d hoped. You might make some less-than-perfect food choices.
It’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up. Stay out of the cycle of shaming yourself. Do what you can, and celebrate any little victories.
Maybe you drank only water instead of pop or alcohol. That’s awesome!
Perhaps you took that second piece of pie you said you wouldn’t have, but you chose not to finish it. That is progress!
Finding the positives will inspire you to do better next time more than filling yourself with guilt will.
Remember, any good choice puts you further ahead than if you hadn’t made it. So value all those little healthy choices. They really do add up!
-----
Want to know more about eating healthy? Click on the "Nutrition" tag to see all my posts on eating healthier.
0 Comments