Newswise — When most people think about Thanksgiving, they think of a table full of food made from old family recipes. What they don't think about is the extra calories they will be consuming from a plate full of buttery rich food.
Believe it or not, it is possible to enjoy turkey day without the post-feast guilt. There are many ways to avoid holiday weight gain, say Florida State University professors of nutrition Jodee Dorsey and Jenice Rankins. There are things you can do before, during and after the meal to help limit caloric intake.
Rankins estimates that on Thanksgiving Day people will take in anywhere from 500 to 1,000 more calories than on an average day.
"Because of this, the main thing people have to do is move," Rankins said. "The person in the family who is into fitness needs to movitate the others to move. Take a morning walk, do some old dances, walk up and down the stairs a few times, anything to make sure that you're moving."
It's equally important to eat before the main meal. Dorsey recommends eating a light breakfast and not saving up to eat more.Â
"The idea is to have a plan," she said. When coming up with the menu, be sure to include plenty of vegetables and steam them rather than turning them into an unhealthy casserole or pudding. Use Mexican corn, for example, instead of a corn pudding.Â
"It's more than just healthy. It looks festive and kids will eat it because it looks so good," Rankins said. Dorsey adds that since many vegetables are in season, they will taste great and bring a lot of color to the table. She also thinks that poultry is good to eat, minus the skin, and it's OK to eat ham in moderate portions.
Another pre-meal strategy Rankins gives is to drink plenty of water before and during the meal and eat a salad before the actual meal. This will help to fill you up and you'll eat less of the other stuff. She also suggests not eating the food while you're cooking it because it's like eating two meals.
At the table it's important to remember that Thanksgiving isn't just about food. Taking time to talk to family and friends will add to the enjoyment of the holiday. Dorsey suggests slowing down your pace of eating by simply enjoying the conversation at the table. This is beneficial because if you eat slow you will eat less. Dorsey also advises to put the fork down after each bite or to make yourself chew your food a certain amount of times before swallowing.
Another strategy is to make the food less accessible. Rankins believes that people need to get away from putting everything on the table and instead put it on a buffet table, so that they have to get up to get more food.
When picking what to eat, go ahead and eat your favorite Thanksgiving treat even if it isn't healthy — just be mindful of the portion size and give up eating something else that isn't very healthy.Â
And don't worry, you can still have dessert. Some desserts have fewer calories than others and are better for you. For example, a pumpkin pie is better than a cheesecake because it has more fiber. Dorsey recommends not keeping desserts out the whole afternoon or evening to limit temptation. Rankins says in terms of preparation, use 1 percent milk instead of whole milk and cut pies into 10 pieces instead of eight.
In addition to themselves, adults need to be mindful of what children are eating. They need to eat child-size portions. After the first serving they will ask for more if they are still hungry.
"Don't obsess over what children eat," Rankins said, "but don't let it be unlimited either."
Fighting weight gain doesn't stop at the table. After the meal make sure to not lie down. Rankins suggests having a contest for the children and adults for who can sit the least.
As for the tempting treats that will undoubtedly be around the office this time of year, Dorsey recommends making a deal as an office to bring in healthy alternatives and to only keep the snacks out for a certain amount of time, preferably around lunch, and then take the food away.
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