Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year? Traveling long distance to family or friends?
Whether you’re cooking the turkey or simply bringing a side, most of America will be doing one thing in common this Thanksgiving day – eating. How do we prepare for such a large, holiday meal while staying healthy, you ask? Here are a few tips and tricks to getting through this Thanksgiving healthier than ever.
- Make a healthy meal.
This Thanksgiving, whether you’re cooking the meal, roasting the veggies, or mashing the potatoes, there are a variety of healthy (and delicious!) alternative recipes to choose from. Food doesn’t have to be soaked in butter in order to taste good. EatingWell provides a variety of healthy, clean-eating recipes to try this Thanksgiving that don’t sacrifice on flavor! Check them out HERE.
- Try not to over-eat.
It can be easy to overeat for Thanksgiving with the amount of heavy comfort foods available. It’s important to make an effort to eat as regularly as possible, however, despite the holiday, in order to maintain a healthy diet. Here are a few (but certainly not all!) tips to not over-eating from Greatest:
- Drinking plenty of water – the more you fill up on water, the more quickly you’ll feel full during dinner.
- Eat slowly – make an effort to chew your food at a slower pace and make conversation at the table, so you give your body enough time to register when it is full (and enjoy other’s company!).
- Don’t skip breakfast – make sure to eat a regular breakfast (and lunch if your Thanksgiving meal is held during the dinner hour) to avoid extreme hunger when it comes time to eat. The more hungry you are going into the meal, the more likely you’ll eat more food, faster.
- Exercise prior-to or after Thanksgiving.
Whether you’re running a 5K the morning of or you’re visiting your local YMCA on Black Friday, find some time to exercise and burn off some Thanksgiving calories after (or before) the big meal. Check out an infographic by Active.com on how to burn off Thanksgiving Day calories through exercise, HERE!
- Don’t stress.
Thanksgiving is once a year, so don’t stress out about all the food. Using a few simple tips and tricks, you can still have a healthy and enjoyable Thanksgiving with the ones you love!
The Harrisburg Area YMCA is closed on Thanksgiving to spend the time with their families and enjoy some food and fellowship, but will be open throughout the weekend to help you burn those extra calories! For more information on your branch’s hours, visit their websites following the links below. From all of us at the YMCA, have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!
–Emily Sanville, Digital Communications Coordinator
