Try This 10 Step Plan to Ensure Your Thanksgiving Dinner is Stress Free and Calorie Controlled

Do you work yourself into a frenzy at the very thought of cooking Thanksgiving dinner?

I know what it’s like when I have guests for dinner, I’m often tempted to choose recipes that are decidedly ‘different,’ rather than going for something tried and tested!

Being adventurous in the kitchen it great, but if you’re planning to have a house full of guests, perhaps a more traditional menu would help take the stress out of cooking!

The holiday season can also be stressful for those making an effort to lose weight, and the amount of dinner parties and social engagements at this time of year can wreck havoc even on most dedicated dieter.

So, here are my tips for being wonderfully domesticated, completely stress free, and calorie controlled this Thanksgiving:

Thanksgiving dinner preparation

#1 Plan what you will eat in detail
Being organised is as simple as having a plan of action and sticking to it.

Write out a menu plan of what you will cook for starter, dinner, and dessert. Will you have snacks? What drinks will you serve? Are any of your guests following a special diet? Do you need a vegetarian option?

I’d suggest going for your families favourite recipes, and if you want to be a little adventurous, do so with one dish only – this will reduce some of the stress involved in trying out new recipes.

Next thing you need to do is write a shopping list containing everything you will need.

When you get to the supermarket, check off the list as you pick each item, there’s nothing worse than getting home and realising you’ve forgotten something!

#2 What can you make ahead of time?
Some dishes on your menu can be made the day before, this will certainly take some of the pressure off on Thanksgiving Day.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Pie crusts
• Bread
• Desserts
• Cranberry sauce
• Stuffing

#3 Remember the turkey!
Are you using a frozen bird? If so, remember it takes one day in the fridge for every 5 pounds of meat, so be prepared!

#4 Make your Thanksgiving recipes healthier

• Remove the skin from turkey to save around 50 calories.
• Have a smaller portion of gravy, particularly if made using turkey drippings.
• Go for sweet potatoes – they are slightly more nutritious than white potatoes, due to their beta-carotene and vitamin C content.
• Don’t load potatoes with cream and butter, instead choose skimmed milk, fat free sour cream, and season with pepper and nutmeg.
• Make your own cranberry sauce, using half the sugar suggested in the recipe.
• Try a vegetarian stuffing recipe using wholegrain bread, olive oil, onions, herbs, apples, celery, raisins, and walnuts.
• Make dessert healthier – pumpkin pie can be made using egg whites rather than whole eggs, evaporated skim milk rather than regular evaporated milk, reduced fat pie crust, and half the amount of sugar recommended.

#5 Delegate tasks
If you have a large number coming for dinner don’t be afraid to ask others to bring items to help out, such as drinks, salads, snacks, or dessert.

If you’re kids are old enough get them involved in the food preparation, or ask them to set the table. It can be a really fun family time if everyone works together.

#6 Stay cool, calm, and collected
Remember, Thanksgiving is a day for thinking about what you are truly thankful for, rather than the whole focus being on what you will eat. So, if something goes terribly wrong the best cure is a good sense of humour!

Thanksgiving dinner

#7 Don’t go hungry
Try not to arrive for dinner completely famished by making sure you have a healthy breakfast, and snacks or lunch, as appropriate. This will help you avoid overeating at the dinner table.

#8 Fill up on low cal foods
If salad is served as a starter, or as a side dish, make sure you have a good sized portion.

For dinner, fill half of your plate with steamed (unbuttered) vegetables, and then allow one quarter for starchy carbohydrates, and one quarter for lean meat.

The recommended serving for meat is 4 ounces, and for potatoes it’s just 1/2 a cup measure – pretty small in comparison to how we normally pile our plates with food!

You can also save a significant amount of calories by opting for veggie crudités with a low fat dips, fresh fruit, or a small amount of unsalted nuts rather than the high fat snacks often served.

#9 Drink mostly water
By simply choosing water rather than alcohol, soft drinks, or fruit juice, you can easily save upwards of 200kcals.

Here is the calorie content of some common Thanksgiving drinks:

• 1 cup of eggnog – 340 calories
• 1 pint of beer – 200 calories
• 1 glass of wine – 120 calorie
• 1 glass of sparkling grape juice – 120 calories
• 1 glass of soft drink – 140 calories
• 1 cup of tea or coffee with reduced fat milk – 15 calories

#10 Don’t stuff yourself
It’s a common misconception that turkey makes you sleepy! But, this drowsiness is simply the result of eating a large, heavy dinner, which overloads the digestive system, and results in increased sleepiness.

So, you’ll also feel much better by making the decision to stop eating when you feel full, rather than stuffed!

Start your meal by putting small amounts on your plate, and eat slowly.

Try not to have seconds until you’ve waited around 20 minutes – this will give your stomach time to reaslise it’s full, and if not, you can have a little more, without fear of overeating.

Check out Mayo Clinic for a great selection of healthy Thanksgiving recipes.

What are your Thanksgiving Day tips for staying healthy and stress free?