How To Maintain Your Gains and navigate through Thanksgiving

Who doesn’t love Thanksgiving? Good company, good food, and even better dessert.  It’s all fun and games until you end up in a self-induced food coma and need to be rolled away from the dinner table. We’ve all been there. Then the next day comes around and we’re faced with that moment we all dread…. Stepping on the scale after that epic cheat meal. You then get eaters remorse, feel like garbage, and feel as those you lost all of the gains you worked so hard for.  How do we prevent this from happening? There are two keys to staying on track during Thanksgiving: portion control and moderation. Anytime you tell yourself “I can’t have that” makes you want it more. Am I right? As we all know, fad diets and yo-yo diets set us up for complete failure because of the “I can’t have that” approach.. There is no healthy balance established. You will be much more successful when this balance is known and clearly established. It allows you to enjoy the things you want, but in moderation. Use this approach this Thanksgiving…. Sometimes you can have your cake and eat it too :)

4 Helpful Tips to Navigate Through Thanksgiving Dinner:

1. Ditch the bread and butter! Indulging in bread before the meal is going to add extra carbs and fats that you don’t need. Not to mention, it will  fill you up before you get to the good stuff!
2.  Load up on Veggies. Vegetables contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients. They are healthy carbohydrates, minimal on calories, and high in fiber. Don’t be afraid to go back for seconds!
3. Turkey is your friend. Turkey is a lean protein, meaning it is high in protein but low in fat. Bring on all the protein!
4.  Save room for dessert!  Yep, you heard me right! Never deprive yourself, especially of that delicious homemade pumpkin pie. Life is meant to be enjoyable and it is okay to treat yourself to dessert every now and then… in moderation of course. Having 5 slices of grandma’s homemade apple pie...maybe not the best idea! Ask for half a slice. This should be just enough to get a taste and to satisfy that demanding sweet tooth.

Whether you’re hosting family dinner or just bringing a dish to pass, try these macro friendly alternatives of your favorite Thanksgiving dishes…. Your family won’t even know the difference!

Gravy

What would Thanksgiving be without gravy? When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, it is no secret that gravy is an absolute necessity. Very tasty, yes, but also is an easy way to mindlessly add some extra calories to your dinner. Standard homemade gravy packs a ton of carbs and fat for such a small serving. And let’s be honest, does anyone only ever use only one serving of gravy?

‍Let’s Compare....

‍Standard Homemade Turkey Gravy

Serving size: 1/4 cup

‍Nutrition facts: 262 calories, 26g carbs, 4g protein, 18 g fat

‍Ditch the extra calories and try this low carb, low fat alternative

‍Tasty Low-Calorie Turkey GravyMakes 4 servings (serving size 1/4c)

‍Serving Size: ¼ cup serving

‍Nutrition Facts: 36 calories, 2g carbs, 2g protein, 2g fat

‍Ingredients⅓ cup reduced-fat butter⅓ cup all purpose flour3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or turkey stock1 cup warmed water1 tablespoon dry sherry or any cooking sherryFresh ground pepper, to taste1 cup skinless cooked turkey meat, chopped fineInstructions1.) In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.2.) Gradually whisk in broth and water until well mixed.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.3.) Stir in sherry, pepper and turkey bits.  Serve warm in a gravy boat, creamer or small tea pot.4.) Can be served immediately or prepared the day before and heated the next da

Green Bean Casserole

A Thanksgiving dinner table would not be complete without green bean casserole. It’s vegetables so it HAS to be healthy, right? Wrong. This creamy crunchy dish packs a good flavor, but the majority of the ingredients come from processed foods that are loaded with sodium and fat. Canned green beans don’t offer as many health benefits as fresh green beans either. Making small changes to this simple recipe can make a huge difference to your diet, without compromising the taste. Let’s compare…

‍Standard Green Bean Casserole

Serving Size: 1 cup

‍Nutrition Facts: 197 calories, 23g carbs, 0g protein, 11g fat

‍Ditch the canned green beans,  processed cans of soup, and deep fried onions.

Try this fresher, lighter version instead‍

Lean Green Bean Casserole

Serving Size: 1 cup

‍Nutrition Facts: 110 calories, 13g carbs, 9g protein, 3g Fat

‍Ingredients:14 oz bag of frozen whole green beans or 4 cups fresh green beans8 oz package of mushrooms, thinly sliced1 medium onion, finely chopped1 tsp. garlic, choppedSauce:1 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt (or low fat sour cream)1 tsp. cornstarch1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper1 packet of Stevia (or sweetener of choice)Topping:1 Tbsp. minced dry onion½ cup grated Parmesan cheese½ cup panko bread crumbs

‍Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray large baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Saute onions, garlic and mushrooms in ½ cup of water. Stir occasionally until the water is completely evaporated. Remove onions and mushrooms from pan and place in a medium bowl.
3. Thaw out frozen green beans  (if using fresh, steam green beans and clip off ends. Place in large pot of boiling water until tender, approx 5 minutes. Drain.) Add green beans to the bowl with mushrooms and onions.  Cool to room temp before adding sauce mixture.
4. In a small bowl, mix together sauce ingredients. Add sauce to the green beans and toss until well coated. Add everything to the prepared baking dish.
5. Mix topping in a small bowl and sprinkle over top. Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes or until topping is golden brown.
6. Serve warm and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet potato casserole…. A staple in any holiday meal and one of my personal favorites. This dish finds its way onto my Thanksgiving table every year. It’s the best of both worlds. Potatoes, sugar, marshmallows… What’s not to love? Maybe the whopping 315 calories and 5 teaspoons of sugar  for just one small ½ cup serving....Yikes!This healthy alternative savours the great taste of the average casserole, but leaves out some of the extra butter and added sugar. Don’t worry though, I didn’t forget about most important part… the marshmallows. Sweet potato casserole just wouldn’t be the same without them, am I right? In the following recipe I cut the fat down over 16 grams and significantly lowered the sugar content.. All while still including marshmallows :)Let’s compare…

‍Standard Sweet Potato Casserole:

Serving size: 1/2 cup

‍Nutrition facts: 315 calories, 36g carbs, 4g protein 18g fat

‍Ditch the excessive amounts of fat and loads of added sugar and try this tasty treat as a replacement

‍Skinny Sweet Potato Casserole

Serving Size: ½ cup

‍Nutrition Facts: 132 calories, 29.5g Carb, 1.5g protein, 2g fat

‍Ingredients:2 lbs sweet potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled1/2 cup golden raisins1 tsp agave 1/4 tsp ground cinnamonpinch nutmegpinch allspice8 oz can unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained2 tbsp chopped pecans1 cup mini marshmallows

‍Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Cut sweet potatoes into large chunks; boil potatoes in a large pot covered with water until potatoes are soft if pierced with a fork. Drain and return to the pot.
3. Mash the sweet potatoes and add in raisins, agave, spices and pineapple
4. Lightly spray a pie dish, casserole dish or even individual ramekins with oil, spoon in sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with pecans and top with marshmallows. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and serve hot

Pumpkin Pie

I think we can all agree that dessert is the best part of any meal, especially Thanksgiving dinner. I would skip straight to dessert if I could! There is nothing better than a homemade pumpkin pie with mounds and mounds of whipped cream on it. If you’re going to indulge, indulge smart. On average, one slice of pumpkin pie contains over 25 grams or 6 teaspoons of sugar!! This modified recipe nearly cuts the calories, carbohydrates, fat, and sugar in half!Let’s Compare…

‍Standard Pumpkin Pie

Serving Size: 1 slice

‍Nutrition facts: 323 calories, 46g carbs, 5g protein, 13g fat

‍Ditch the extra carbs, fat, and sugar to make room for extra whipped cream

‍Guilt-Free Pumpkin PieMakes 10 servingsServing Size: 1 slice

‍Nutrition Facts: 137 calories, 25g carbs, 3g protein, 5g fat

‍Ingredients:15 oz canned pumpkin 2 Tbsp whipped butter, softened¾ cup light brown sugar, unpacked½ cup fat free milk1 large egg2 large egg whites½ tsp pumpkin pie spice½ teaspoon ground cinnamon¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg1 tsp vanilla extract1 frozen pie crust sheet

‍Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Lightly dust a large cutting board or flat surface with flour. Roll out room temp pie crust sheet so that it is thin enough to cut off 30%. Your final crust should weigh 5 oz.
3. Place into a 9 inch pie dish, cutting off excess dough.
4. Place pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Add butter and mix well.
5. Use an electric mixer to combine brown sugar, milk, eggs, egg whites, spices, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth
6. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust. Bake approximately 70-75 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.
7. Let cool, and enjoy with your favorite toppings!

Happy Turkey Day,Coach Keri Los