The holiday months are here. Here come the parties and all the tasty food to follow.
It’s easy to let the holidays become a slippery slope, leading to a “I will just start fresh in the New Year” mentality. But there is no reason you can’t continue to progress towards your goals, even during the holiday season.
If you are hosting Thanksgiving this year, that gives you the opportunity to have plenty of healthier options at your disposal. Even if you aren’t hosting, you can opt to take a healthier dish to pass. While it is completely fine to enjoy yourself and have some of your favorite Thanksgiving foods, making reasonable choices will leave you feeling better all around.
Here are a few tips to help you gobble, without ending up with too much wobble!
Get moving
Get some physical activity in early in the day. Not to “earn” your food, I don’t believe in that mindset. However, taking the time for some physical activity allows you to make yourself a priority, before the hustle and bustle of the day begins. It can also be a fun way to spend some time with your loved ones, if they want to join in. Unless they are the early morning mimosa drinking type family members
Turkey Trots are always a fun option. If you are in the Detroit area, they have a great Turkey Trot before the annual holiday parade begins, with options to do a 1 mile, 5K, 10K or a combination, aka: Cranberry Combo (1 mile + 5K) or Drumstick Double (10K +5K).
Thanksgiving HIIT Workout– Here is a fun “Turkey Burn” WOD I created for my Fit In The Mitt crew. This workout has a 30-minute cap, so it won’t take up too much of your morning. All it requires is a single Dumbbell or Kettlebell. If you don’t have either of those at your disposal, you can sub the Kettlebell Swings for Push Ups.
This will take less than 30 minutes! No excuses!
Prioritize Protein and Water Intake
Start your day with a High Protein breakfast. A high protein breakfast is great for a few reasons. Starting your day with higher protein will help keep you satiated throughout the day, so you don’t find yourself hangry when it’s time to eat the big meal of the day. This will also help balance out your day overall, since chances are you will be opting for more carbs/fats during the Thanksgiving meal.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day. This will help keep you hydrated throughout the day, especially if you plan to have a few drinks with your Thanksgiving dinner. Ideally, aim for 100 oz for females and 120 oz for males. If that is significantly higher than what you are used to drinking, adjust accordingly, so you don’t find yourself making too many bathroom visits.
Enjoy!
Enjoy yourself!!! This is the most important one. One day of eating is not going to derail your entire progress, even if you do end up having more tasty treats than originally planned.Just get right back on track the next day and move on. Having a plan of action is a great approach, depending on what your personal goals are. Letting yourself completely enjoy the day is a great approach too. It really just depends on your individual goals.
DINNER TIME!
Whether you are a “traditional” Thanksgiving dinner type person, or someone who likes to change up the menu from year to year, here are a few great healthy options to try!
Main Course:Turkey Brine – A turkey brine is a great way to end up with a yummy, juicy turkey. Turkey is a great source of protein of course, so put this on your plate first and build the rest of your plate around that! This is a super easy recipe that you can do the night before the big day, with options of both a wet and dry brine.
Veggie Dish:Brussel Sprouts with Chestnuts & Bacon – Who doesn’t like a dish with bacon?!?! You could do this in place of the traditional green bean casserole, or just as an alternate option! With the chestnuts in this recipe, I feel like this would be a great option to re-use for Christmas dinner too!
Side Dish: Sweet Potato Casserole – This yummy dish is both gluten free and vegan. This would make a great dish if you or your family members have these type of diet modifications, or anyone who loves a good sweet potato casserole. Make sure you check out the “notes” section of the recipe to see the alternative in place of using an actual vanilla bean.
Dessert: Pumpkin Pecan Custard– A little bit of pumpkin, a little bit of pecan, the best of both worlds in one little cup!For this dish, you could easily swap out the brown sugar with some honey, for a more natural sweetened option.
Pumpkin Pecan Custard from Taste of Home
HOLIDAY SERVING DÉCOR
A thanksgiving dinner wouldn’t be complete, without a few cute décor touches! These Thanksgiving Cutlery Utensils are super cute and kid friendly! Who wouldn’t be excited about eating turkey dinner, with these cute little turkeys in front of them The kids will love these for sure!
Thanksgiving Cutlery Holder Set
And if you want a great way to keep the kiddos entertained while dinner is being cooked, these Thanksgiving Coloring Placements will do the trick. The kids can color or play games (Tic Tac Toe, Word Search etc.) while you are working in the kitchen and serve as a placement for dinner later on. I love a dual-purpose item!
Thanksgiving Placemats for Kids 12 Sheets
The holidays can become a crazy time, of navigating parties and trying to maintain a healthy balance of enjoying yourself, without enjoying yourself TOO much! Take this time to enjoy your loved ones, but don’t’ forget to make yourself a priority too.
If you are struggling navigating a healthy balance between enjoying yourself and pursuing your health/fitness goals, I do offer 1-1 Nutrition coaching. You can download the 1st Phorm App and add me as your advisor (Nicole.fitm@gmail.com). I would love to help you navigate your health journey! Don’t put yourself on the back burner until the New Year. There is still plenty of time to start your journey to a healthier lifestyle this year.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Nicole
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