(The Verge-) The start of holiday season begins again! While it is easy to go on a food binge, it is important to think that in a little bit over a month you have to fit into your new years eve outfit. Being around great food makes it hard to control urges, but with portion control and choosing the right side dishes, you will be making your taste buds happy, and your figure even happier.
Avoid Hors d’oeuvres, they stuff you up before dinner and when the main meal comes your forcing yourself to eat, which leads to overeating and a stomach ache, which is never fun when dessert time comes. If you are hungry before dinner snack on a veggie platters or fruit platter that may be offered, a healthier less filling option.
The Main Meal:
Eat: Sweet Potatoes.
Avoid: Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes have a higher content of fiber and vitamins then regular white potatoes making this form of potatoes the way to go on thanksgiving. They particularly have high levels of Vitamin A and beta-carotene, making them great for your skin. Note: Candied sweet potatoes, or the ones with the marshmallows on them, are not good for you, if this is your only sweet potatoes option AVOID IT and go with a little bit of the mashed.
Eat: Cooked Skinless turkey breast
Avoid: Ham
What is thanksgiving without the turkey and the ham? These are the main meats of the holiday but while both are delicious, turkey is lower in fat and sodium making it a better choice for your protein.
Eat: Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Avoid: Canned version
Two slices of canned cranberry sauce contains 220 calories and 41 grams of sugar (according to the nutritional facts on the can) and whatever preservatives they put in that can. While, depending on the recipe, a homemade cranberry sauce contains only 100 calories and 21 grams of sugar, for 1/3 of a cup and no preservatives. Enough said.
**Also remember portion control!! It is a holiday so if you’d rather have one of the avoid options above just keep it to a moderation and try not to get out of control!
Don’t think I forgot about the stuffing, as a major fan of this great stuff, I would not want you to pass on it so here is a healthier version made by my favorite “skinny girl” Bethenny Frankel. http://www.bethenny.com/user/recipe/out-of-this-world-healthy-stuffing
And for dessert:
Since you did so well controlling yourself throughout the meal treat yourself with a little bit of pumpkin pie or whatever your favorite holiday dessert is, it is a holiday!
Happy Thanksgiving! Lets all give thanks that luckily Thanksgiving food can be somewhat good for you.
