Healthy Advice: Prepare Yourself for the Holidays

Photo Credit: About.com

The holidays begin on Thanksgiving and from then on it’s all just parties. And where there are parties there’s bound to be eating. Most parties serve delicious and very tempting food. Are they healthy? Sadly, most of them are not. Most of these foods are packed with calories that will surely give you the belly right after the holidays.

So it’s time to break some Thanksgiving traditions. Well, the turkey is the centerpiece of the meal. But you can cut on the trimmings. Serve delicious food but make sure that they are packed with nutrients. Remember to count calories to discourage yourself from eating too much.

Nevertheless, the holidays are a time to really enjoy. You can eat almost anything served at the party – but limit the number of servings. You can get small servings of everything and still enjoy the party.

Average calorie consumption during Thanksgiving is about 3,000 calories. People take in about 229 grams of fat on this day too. That’s way beyond the 2,400 daily calorie requirement for women aging 18 to 35 years old and even so much more beyond that for older men and women.

So get a grip of your calorie intake. Here’s a list of the commonly served food during the holidays and their equivalent calorie and fat content. Know what you’re eating and avoid the extra inches on your waist.

Let’s count! A 3.5 oz. serving of dark turkey meat would generally give you about 187 calories. Two cups of eggnog is about 684 calories and 36 grams of fat for you. A cup of green bean casserole gives you 366 calories and 26 grams of fat. Mashed potatoes typically contain milk and butter so a cup of it has 222 calories and 9 grams of fat while ¼ cup of gravy adds 30 calories and 2 grams of fat. Dinner rolls provides 340 calories and 8 grams of fat. Even wine adds 100 calories.

And if the choice is between a slice of pecan pie and of pumpkin pie, choose the pumpkin pie because it contains significantly less calories and less fat. Always choose the lesser “evil” to lessen your calorie intake. If you do overeat, remember to double your exercise the next day.

And when in gatherings, savor the company more than the food.