Healthy Body

If we took a poll and asked people what their favorite holiday is, no doubt Thanksgiving would be among the top five. Just thinking about Thanksgiving gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling, right? Well for some, this is the case; but for those who have to prepare the holiday fare, it may not be.

Today eating healthy foods is on everyone’s agenda. When planning a holiday menu many factors have to be taken into consideration. One of which is how to prepare a meal that is low in calories yet stays true to the tradition.

One of the ways to create a healthy holiday menu is by substituting a few dishes so that even the most discerning guest or family member will not notice the change.

Start the meal with a leafy green salad and low-fat dressing. Next serve a delicious homemade vegetable soup instead of yams or mashed potatoes. In addition, add a vegetable platter with a low-fat yogurt dip. For the main course, serve broccoli and sweet potatoes along with the turkey instead of regular boiled or mash potatoes. While many family members or guests may be looking for that slice of bread and butter, serve a whole grain loaf with margarine.

For dessert, pumpkin pie happens to be the best alternative to other more high fat desserts such as chocolate cake or pastries. Add a dollop of low-fat whipped cream and everyone at the table will feel totally sated.

Also, serve water and lemon with your meals instead of cola or other soft drinks. Take a two hour break in between courses. Play a board game, card game or watch a favorite movie on DVD.

Planning a menu early will make preparation easier. It also allows for trying new recipes that are healthy and which everyone will enjoy. Remember, the turkey is the main event; therefore all of the side dishes are an added plus to the menu. By the way, keep an extra loaf of whole wheat bread on the side as well as low-fat mayo for later. No doubt someone will want to have a turkey sandwich later on during the night.

Turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams with brown sugar and marshmallows, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, bread, and the many desserts such as pies and cakes are just some of the menus being planned for the upcoming holiday. Do any of these foods sound familiar?

You can enjoy your holiday feasts and still maintain a healthy diet. Portion control and substituting low fat ingredients is one way in which to provide a healthy alternative.

For example, prepare the turkey without the stuffing. Instead of pasta, serve a healthy homemade vegetable soup. Replace some of the desserts with a home-baked angel food cake and decorate it with berries that are in season. You can still enjoy other desserts, as well as high carb foods such as mashed potatoes, by serving it on smaller plates and by limiting the variety of high-fat meats with low-fat substitutions.

Traditionally Thanksgiving and other subsequent holidays can last several hours. Instead of several courses, prepare four such as salad with low fat dressing, homemade vegetable soup, turkey without stuffing and homemade dessert. It can be done successfully and with a minimum amount of preparation. Serve a vegetable tray with a low fat dip for guests to nibble on before dinner.

Take one to two hour breaks before each meal. Take a walk or play football in the back yard, weather permitting. Sit everyone in the living room so they are not tempted to pick at the leftovers at the table after each course.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday and sometimes we tend to prepare too many courses. Whether it’s a new recipe we want to try or perhaps there was a wonderful side dish seen on a food channel we have to incorporate into the Thanksgiving meal. There isn’t a set amount of courses one must serve. However, perhaps this year prepare fewer courses and keep the ones you do prepare more satisfying and healthier for guests.

The spirit of Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays lies in those with whom we spend the holiday. While food preparation is important, it does not have to be so extraordinary that no one can move at the end of the meal. You’ve seen the commercial, right? Everyone is so stuffed, the men immediately take to the sofa and unbuckle their belts, while the women sit at the table and talk while picking at the leftovers.

When you begin to think about your holiday preparation, plan a menu that’s healthy and that affords those who are maintaining a diet to be able to stick to it. While some cultures will create a mini-banquet, their only choice is portion control. Serve on smaller plates and prepare fewer courses. Substitute water for cola and serve non-fat eggnog. Eat slower, chew longer and enjoy the feast!

One of the problems we all face is how to maintain a diet during the holiday season. Undoubtedly for some it is fasting the week before Thanksgiving. There is less guilt when sitting down to enjoy this delicious feast. This has sometimes been the norm rather than the exception.

To avoid having to fast or go on a crash diet and still be able to enjoy the holiday fare, here are some tips for sticking to the diet maintained all year long without having to worry about the guilt and the added pounds.

Experts recommend drinking a few glasses of water and having a protein snack before beginning a holiday feast. There is an old expression, to wit; never go food shopping on an empty stomach. The same applies to the holidays. If preparing the holiday meal or being invited to a family gathering, eat a snack beforehand and drink water to alleviate the need to begin nibbling before the sit down meal commences.

Prepare a vegetable tray for guests with a low fat dip. If you have been invited to someone’s home, bring a vegetable tray as well. It is not only healthy but is a wonderful alternative for others who may be dieting as well.

Check out some recipes online that can be incorporated in preparing holiday meals and which offer substitutes for high-fat content. In addition, instead of the array of desserts traditionally served every year, why not make an angel food cake and top it with berries and low fat whipped cream.

Serve vegetables along with the Thanksgiving turkey. This is not only a healthy alternative to stuffing but can be served in many different ways. If serving a salad use low fat dressing. A delicious homemade vegetable soup can be prepared as a second course instead of pasta.

There are so many different ways in which to use alternative foods during the holidays, yet still enjoy every morsel. Moreover, portion control is the key to maintaining any diet. We all know that holiday fare consists of many courses. Take a walk with family members or friends in between courses. If the weather permits, play a game of touch football in the backyard.

While these are just some tips to help stick to the diet you have maintained all year long, you can still enjoy the holidays. Substitute foods high in fat with recipes that are just as pleasing to the eye and palate as the traditional foods offered during the holiday season.

Inevitably all will be making the rounds this holiday season to visit friends and relatives. Undoubtedly everyone we visit will have the traditional spread of delicious foods that will tempt us into overindulging on the many treats available.

Anyone can still enjoy holiday parties and refrain from consuming too many high-fat foods and drinks. Here are some tips to help in this endeavor.

Before going out to any holiday party, have a small snack and plenty of water. The old saying: Never food shop when you’re hungry? Well, the same applies to holiday parties. While you may have been dieting over the summer months in preparation for the upcoming holidays, still maintain whatever diet plan you are on by simply heading straight for the veggie platter. Avoid heavy desserts and substitute water for cola and beer.

If attending a sit-down holiday fare, odds are there will be a tempting spread of fine foods and desserts. Utilize the same portion control used in the diet plan. Although you may feel you deserve a treat of a creamy dessert, choose one that is the lesser of two evils. More often than not, hosts will have plenty of food to enjoy that will not play havoc with a waistline.

Stick will salads and low fat dressing, put aside the stuffing and utilize a small plate. While it will be difficult, you can enjoy holiday parties as well as anyone else. After all, you have been dieting for quite some time and probably know how many calories each menu contains.

Today, more holiday preparation is geared towards low fat meals. Moreover, the preparation of these meals offers a wide variety of healthy alternatives than the more traditional heavier meals used to.

While we all have been guilty of overindulging now and again, the holidays are a time for family and friends to get together and enjoy each other. Although many foods will be served relative to one’s culture, utilizing portion control will help to not only enjoy the feast but also alleviate the pangs of guilty feelings afterwards.