Thanksgiving is coming, and let's be real: You're probably going to eat more than you normally would, and you may or may not track it. Different people take different approaches to the Thanksgiving meal. Some take a little of everything, while others just pick a few favorites to indulge in. But which is the best strategy when you're watching your weight? Here's a scenario comparing two different Thanksgiving plates. Uncle Bob loves Thanksgiving food and wants to taste it all at least once, so he takes some of everything: Turkey, gravy, stuffing, two types of potatoes, and, of course, green bean casserole. He even saves room for a little bit of Grandma Mildred's famous pumpkin pie for dessert. Here's what Bob's plate looks like: 6 ounces turkey (white meat, with skin) 1 cup mashed potatoes 1/2 cup green bean casserole 1 cup sweet potato casserole 1/2 cup turkey gravy 1 dinner roll 2 pats butter 1/2 cup stuffing 1/4 cup cranberry sauce ½ a slice pumpkin pie Grandpa George, on the other hand, is a no-frills kind of guy and likes to stick with the basics. Since he's watching his weight, he skips the butter and gravy. He even passes up on dessert! Here's what George's plate looks like: 6 ounces turkey (dark meat, with skin) 1.5 cups mashed potatoes 2 dinner rolls 1 cup stuffing 1 cup cranberry sauce 1 cup green bean casserole Between Bob and George, who consumed the least amount of calories during the Thanksgiving feast? (No cheating by checking your Food Tracker—Make your best guess!) The Winner: Uncle Bob! Although Bob piled a lot more different foods on his plate (and even indulged in butter, gravy, and pie), his plate clocks in with fewer calories than George's. Let's check out the calorie breakdown between the two:
Notice the difference? For one thing, George chose dark meat for his main course, which tends to be higher in calories and fat than the white meat of the turkey. But more importantly, many of George's portion sizes were double the size of Bob's! So even though George skipped out on some of the fattening extras, he still didn't do himself any favors by overcompensating for what he left off his plate. He had a good strategy to just stick to a few favorites—he just failed to eyeball the correct portion sizes. Check out the cranberry sauce alone: A proper serving size is ¼ cup. George took four times that amount, and those calories added up fast from all the sugar (84 grams in a cup!). Of course, both gentlemen could have done a better job making healthier choices. But the reality is that a typical Thanksgiving meal adds up to over a thousand calories for many people. The bottom line is that, as long as you practice proper portion control, you can still enjoy your favorites, whether you try everything on the table or just a few special dishes. Want to slim down your plate? Review the portion guide below before the big day. Note that these are standard-sized portions, so if you want to take Bob's strategy and try a little bit of everything, you might want to cut these portions in half so the calories don't add up as quickly. If you're like George and only pick a few favorites, stick with these portion sizes—and try to resist going back for seconds!  Don't forget to Pin and Share this guide to save for later! Want to put your knowledge to the test? Take this holiday calories quiz and see how you fare! For more healthy holiday eating tips, check out SparkPeople's Healthy Holiday Survival Guide. Do you suffer from portion distortion? What's your strategy for eating during the holidays? |
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