More Holiday Tips From Tanya Zuckerbrot

A holiday meal like Thanksgiving dinner can easily top 2500 calories - that's probably more than you need in a whole day. You might be able to get away with eating one meal like that over the holidays, but once you add more dinners and holiday parties, your diet can get out of control pretty quickly. It is no wonder many people start to gain weight this time of year.

Why not be proactive this year? Rather than falling into the same old holiday diet traps, take some control. Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD, the author of The F-Factor Diet has some tips to keep your Thanksgiving and any holiday meal under control.

Holiday meals don’t have to pack such a high calorie punch. Simple makeover tips can lighten a meal and keep the taste just as good. Holiday Meal Makeover with Tanya’s Tips…

Baked Turkey

• Choose a plain bird over a self-basting bird to lower the sodium content
• To ensure a moist bird, bake un-stuffed, leave the skin on while roasting and remove from the oven when internal temperature reaches 170 degrees in the breast

Gravy

• Use a gravy cup or refrigerate the pan juices (to harden the fat) and skim the fat off before making gravy
• Save around 656 grams of fat per cup!

Candied Yams

• Leave out the margarine and marshmallows
• Sweeten with fruit juice, such as apple and flavor with cinnamon

Green Bean Casserole

• Cook fresh green beans with chunks of potatoes instead of cream soup
• Top with almonds instead of fried onion rings

Mashed Potatoes

• Use skim milk, roasted garlic, and a little parmesan cheese instead of whole milk and butter

Bread

• Serve smaller pieces or omit it altogether

Pay Attention to Your Plate

• Imagine your plate divided into thirds
• Use the 1st third to fan out white meat turkey, no skin
• Use the 2nd third for salad and low-fat vegetables.
• Finally, the last third is for all the starches (sweet potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce)

I think Tanya's tips are great for enjoying a healthy meal. Of course holiday celebrations mean more than big meals. Keep moderation in mind when the treats, cookies and holiday snacks come around as well.

Daily Nutrition Tip

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