Healthy Thanksgiving and Holiday Eating

By Gailon Totheroh

CBN News Science and Medical Reporter

CBNNews.com - Yes, a family can eat well at Thanksgiving without turning into Grinches. With a little effort, people can eat in a healthy fashion -- with a little effort.

Right off the bat, the healthiest items already in the average, traditional Thanksgiving meal are the roasted turkey and vegetable side dishes. One of the best strategies is to cook limited amounts of foods. That is, have more side dishes, but smaller amounts of each one.

Turkey, of course, can be eaten any time during the holiday, even year-round to some extent.

Realistically, the best bet is to get an uninjected turkey -- no self-basting types. White meat does have less fat than dark meat, but if one is picky enough and takes off the visible fat from the dark meat, the difference in fat content isn't much. Turkey is better than ham or pork because it has less fat and better fat.

Injected turkeys have extra saturated or even trans fats added, so the best turkeys are the organic, free-range fed, or minimally processed, in order to get the lowest fat levels.

Wild turkeys are ideal, but we would wipe out their entire population if we all cooked wild birds.

If you go the healthiest route with your turkey choice, just be prepared to deal with a smaller, drier or slightly tougher turkey. The pros still outweigh the cons, however.

But remember that a lower fat meal will help clear the food bolus faster, prevent the blood from getting too sticky, and lessen an upset stomach.

Other related tips for the holidays include:

1 Do not baste the turkey with fats or oils. 2 Cut back on fats or oils in side dishes. For example, try steamed vegetables instead of scalloped potatoes. 3 Cook dressing separately from turkey, and use vegetable or chicken broth to flavor rather than fats or oils. Pick a healthy, natural broth without MSG or hydrolyzed proteins -- or make your own. 4 Limit the desserts in number, type, and fat content. Limit desserts to one or two choices and use low-fat recipes, whenever possible. Having dessert instead of the next meal is another option. 5 Add a salad with fat-free or lower fat dressing. That will fill people up faster, preventing gorging on high-fat foods. 6 Limit or eliminate alcoholic beverages before dinner because more alcohol means less control and more overeating. 7 Extending the time for the meal allows hunger to be reduced by natural mechanisms. 8 Even black coffee or green tea between the meal and dessert may help a little to burn 50-100 more calories. 9 Do some exercise before the big meal -- like a family football/soccer game, raking leaves, taking a walk, and cleaning gutters. Going for a group walk around the yard or block after the meal instead of napping or lying around will also help a lot -- weather permitting.

Too many calories is the ultimate problem, but a preponderance of fat is the worst culprit.

Unhealthy trans fat are commonly found in store-bought cookies, crackers, and a variety of other foods, so you're better off making your own dessert.

You can use better oils like olive, almond, peanut, or avocado, and reasonable amounts of standard butter. Whole wheat pastry flour and/or unbleached whole white flour can be substituted -- in whole or part -- for standard white flour.

Reduce the normal amount of sugar in recipes -- eliminating a quarter of the sugar almost always works, and sometimes half or more can be left out. Try a little experimental cooking before the holiday event, however.

And don't forget spices. Ginger and cinnamon on sweet potatoes, for instance, help aid digestion and prevent stomach upset. Any herbal spice is a good idea.

Garlic and onions can actually prevent blood from getting sticky after high fat meals, and prevent cholesterol from going up as much with overeating.

Some consumers are concerned that if they eat poorly at Thanksgiving, they will likely set a pattern that is problematic for health.

Usually that doesn't happen because many of the Thanksgiving Day dishes are not made or consumed at other times of the year.

Binge overeating reminds most of us how uncomfortable and expensive eating too much really is. Skipping dinner or the next meal after the large Thanksgiving Day meal may be helpful.

Indeed, you may want to nibble or graze for a day or two afterwards.

Finally, remember to enjoy the meal, but most of all, enjoy the friends and family members God has given you.

It is truly a time to be thankful -- and let Him take away the hurts, pains, and personal frictions of the past.

Prayer, of course, is always a good part of that -- in preparation for the holiday, and during Thanksgiving as well.

Nutritionist Luke Bucci, Ph.D., contributed extensively to this report.

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