Five Ways to Stay Healthy this Thanksgiving

Getting a head start on your Thanksgiving meal plans? Here are some tips on how to stay healthy this upcoming holiday. 

Drink Up: Food around the holidays tends to be laden with salt. Make sure to drink lots of water on Thanksgiving morning, ideally consuming 60-80 percent of your daily intake before the feast. Keep up your hydration by drinking one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume. Or take it one step further by swapping out one glass of wine with seltzer water a twist of lime and cranberries.

The Pie Trick: When loading up your plate, think of it as a pie and make sure that vegetables take up the largest ratio of the plate choosing options that are less fatty such as sweet potatoes versus creamed spinach.

Get More Bang from Your Spuds: Try increasing the nutritional content of your mashed potatoes by adding in turnips, rutabagas, or parsnips. Cook and peel these vegetables just as you would potatoes and mash them all together. Your guests and kids will never know the difference.

A Different Kind of Gravy: Moisten your turkey and give it some zest by topping it with cranberry sauce instead of gravy. Not only will lower your salt/fat consumption, you’ll be replacing it with disease fighting antioxidants.

Get Outside and Move: When the food is under control and the turkey is cooking in the oven take the family out for a walk to a nearby beach, park or around the neighborhood. If your family needs more competition, seek out a turkey trot (most allow you to register the day of the race–check out CoolRunning.com) or hold a friendly game of flag football.