Your Thanksgiving Dinner Has How Many Calories?
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My how those holiday treats add up. The typical Thanksgiving Day meal includes turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and a glass of wine.
If you ate one serving of each of these things your calorie intake for that meal alone would be 1,814 calories.
That’s right — 1,814 calories. Even if you love exercise, you’d need an hours-long workout to burn such a giant amount of food.
Here’s the breakdown:
- 8 ounces of turkey – 480 calories
- 1 cup serving mashed potatoes and gravy – 257 calories
- 1 cup stuffing – 350 calories
- 1 cup cranberry sauce – 257 calories
- 1 slice pumpkin pie – 350 calories
- 6-ounce glass of wine –120 calories
Here are some tips on how to cut the calories and still enjoy all the Thanksgiving fixins.
- Remove the skin from turkey, eat the white meat.
- Whip mashed potatoes with skim milk and roasted garlic instead of butter and whole milk or cream.
- Oven-bake stuffing with sautéed onions and celery.Try this recipe.
- Skip the green bean casserole and enjoy fresh, steamed green beans, topped with slivered almonds.
- Instead of brown sugar and marshmallows, flavor sweet potatoes with apple juice and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Lighter whipped toppings can have full flavor with less than half the calories. Try thislighter version of pumpkin pie, parfait style.
- Use whole cranberry sauce rather than jellied cranberry sauce.Try this recipe using fresh cranberries.
- Choose whole-wheat, high-fiber breads and rolls.
Avoid Super-Sizing Your Holiday Meal
If you’re not careful, you can consume a whole day’s worth of calories – or more – at one sitting. Here are some ways to “right-size” your holiday meals:
- Control portions with smaller plates or bowls. Save your extra calories for a special holiday treat you only get once a year.
- Slice your favorite pie into 10 pieces instead of eight. Or, skip dessert altogether and savor a piece of peppermint instead.
- Compare a teaspoon and tablespoon of butter so you have a better idea of how to use teaspoon-sized portions.
- Smaller wine glasses can help you cut calories while enjoying your meal.
Finally, don’t overlook the simple things to keep everything in balance this holiday season:
- Don’t pass on the protein. Include lean proteins in snacks and meals to help balance carbohydrate-rich foods.
- Get moving. Take a pre-meal walk or run, or organize a post-meal activity, hike or game.
- Share veggies and fruit at potlucks to balance out other heavier foods.
Post courtesy of Avera.org/balance.