Tips For Thanksgiving Dinner

I love the Thanksgiving holiday. It is more reasonable than some of the others…no cards to send, no gifts to buy, no Thanksgiving candy. But it is also biggest eating day in America.
Here are some tips to help you avoid problems and stay on track with your turkey dinner,
• Plan what you will eat before the meal. As the saying goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
• If you’ve had weight loss surgery:
o Avoid dry turkey as it is likely to “get stuck.” Generally, the dark meat is moister and less apt to cause problems. White meat will work as long as it’s not overcooked. Sometimes a little bit of gravy will help the turkey go down easier.
o CHEW, CHEW, CHEW. If you’ve ever had food stuck, you know how unpleasant it can be. It is preventable, just be sure to take small bites and chew.
o If you choose to eat carbohydrate foods, stick with the mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes. Again, there is less chance of those foods sticking than with stuffing or having dinner rolls that lump up like a wad of dough in your stomach.
• Be sure to eat a vegetable. Try this month’s recipe for a healthier version of green bean casserole.
• Dessert…pumpkin pie….sugar and fat. You can eat the filling and skip the crust. Pumpkin is an excellent source of vitamin A so the pie has some nutritional value. Make a lighter dessert with my recipe for pumpkin pie pudding.
• Remember, your stomach or pouch doesn’t know it’s a holiday. Your stomach/pouch is not asking for some of everything. It is not asking to be filled to the brim. It’s your head that is overeating. As Agatha Christie said, “When eating, your brain should be a servant to the stomach.”

Focus on the company instead of the food. We do have much to be thankful for and this is day to recognize our blessings.
Eat Smart…
Vicki Bovee, MS, RDN, LD