Thanksgiving Health & Wellness Tips

By Brandy Buro, RD, LD
November 23, 2021

As you’re organizing your Thanksgiving menu, making your grocery lists and checking them twice we wanted to offer some advice on how to “survive” the holiday that revolves entirely around food.

And, really when you think about it, this one day somehow turns into the start of a five-week free-for-all until it’s time for the New Year resolutions.

All that said, Thanksgiving doesn’t mean your good nutrition habits have to suffer or go completely off track.

The traditional elements of a Thanksgiving dinner, when paired together, can be balanced—turkey, buttery green beans and sweet potatoes—but add the crusty bread, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, marshmallow salad and candied cranberries and things have quickly gotten out of control.

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you head out to, or host your own, feast:

1. Eat A Balanced Breakfast Instead Of "Saving Room"

Rather than “saving your calories for later”, don't skip breakfast and start your day as you normally would. This will keep your blood sugar stable, give you positive energy for socializing, and prevent overeating out of hunger later.

When you skip eating all day before the big meal in order to save calories, that plan to “save room” always backfires.

Imagine how hungry you’ll be once the appetizers come out. You’ll be tempted to eat everything in sight!

Not just that, but not eating all day will cause your blood sugar to dip and make you cranky, which doesn’t make for a fun Thanksgiving.

The best advice is to start your Thanksgiving Day with a some animal protein, healthy fat, and a nutrient-dense carbohydrate. Our Egg Bake recipe is one you could make in advance to reheat the morning of without taking too much space in the kitchen or taking time away from other food prep and cooking you'll do that day.

Later, right before guests arrive or before you head out to the holiday meal, eat a balanced snack—such as tuna with mayo or avocado for protein and fat with sliced cucumbers for the carbohydrate—to ensure your blood sugar is stable. You’ll be less likely to have cravings and overeat. 

A couple other quick and easy snack options could be Greek yogurt with blueberries and slivered almonds or a hardboiled egg with half of an apple and some nut butter.

Need more snack recipes ideas? Check Out These Recipes

Get the Egg Bake Recipe here.

2. Hydrate

Getting in your usual amount of water throughout the day (we recommend striving for half your body weight in ounces) will keep your cells nourished, especially if you partake in alcohol, and will help you keep track of hunger cues from actual hunger rather than dehydration.

A great strategy we have to avoid having too much alcohol is to intersperse your alcoholic beverages with glasses of water or sparkling water. One glass of wine followed by one glass of water makes for a healthier Thanksgiving dinner.

3. Bring A Dish To Share

If you’re invited to a gathering, offer to bring a dish. It’s the perfect opportunity to add some real food to the day’s events. You’ll know that if all else fails you’ll have your dish to snack on.

For instance, swap out a Chex™ Mix appetizer for a variety of olives and nuts. Green, black, Kalamata and garlic-stuffed olives not only look festive, but they taste delicious. Bonus, the fats in the olives and nuts are healthy and are sure to keep your blood sugar stable.

Balanced blood sugar means clear thinking, vibrant moods and good energy. Wouldn’t you rather have that versus the Chex Mix aftermath of a blood sugar spike and crash, leaving you feeling anxious, headachy and cranky? We would!

Bringing your own beverage to share also helps you avoid high-sugar drinks. It's easy to consume excess calories when we are drinking them! Many of us at Nutritional Weight & Wellness enjoy La Croix sparkling waters. Put it in a wine glass with a slice of lemon and you’ll feel fancy, plus stay hydrated to help curb cravings.

Here are some of our favorite holiday recipes. 

“For a big holiday meal, I always make sure I bring a dish to share that is something I know works for me and that I can fill up on if there’s not a lot of other great choices. More often than not, that is bringing a vegetable or salad dish. My favorite (and is usually a crowd pleaser) is the Cabbage Apple Slaw recipe from the Nutrition 4 Weight Loss cookbook. The Crunchy Broccoli Salad is also a nice choice. I know if I can eat a good hunk of meat and go to town on the veggies, there’s not a whole lot of room left over for the other stuff.” – Leah Kleinschrodt, MS, RD, LD

4. Balance Your Plate

At Nutritional Weight & Wellness, building a balanced plate is our number one piece of advice, on Thanksgiving Day and every other day of the year.

We alluded to it earlier, but by balanced we mean consuming a quality animal protein, good fat (butter, avocado, nuts and olives for example) and healthy carbohydrates (mostly non-starchy vegetables) at every meal and snack. Leave smaller amounts of space for the things you just want to have a bite or small taste of.

This trifecta is the optimal mix to help balance your blood sugar, keep your metabolism moving, your mood stable and give your body the nutrients it needs to function.

We’ve all experienced the “hangry” (hungry and angry) feeling after going without food, just as we’ve all experienced wanting to take a nap after a huge plate of Thanksgiving fare. Both scenarios are your low blood sugar talking!

Fortunately, when it comes to a Thanksgiving buffet, there are a lot of real food options to make balancing your plate easy:

For instance, turkey is a great protein. (A rule of thumb for a serving size of protein is to look for cuts of meat roughly the size of your palm.)

With the protein covered, look for quality fats and carbs for the rest of your plate. Thanksgiving staples like green beans, sweet potatoes, squash, and Brussels sprouts are perfect options. Better yet, they’ve likely been cooked in butter, giving you a quality fat as well. If they haven’t, grab a pat of butter and put it on top of any veggies you add to your plate.

5. Look For Homemade

There are just so many hidden ingredients in store-bought foods. We also suggest avoiding or limiting anything laden with sugar, refined flours and refined fats.

All these artificial foods are very addicting and can be hard to resist once you’ve started. It’s not a lack of willpower that makes you reach for roll after roll; it’s your brain chemistry thrown off from all those artificial ingredients.

With so many other real food options, you won’t be sacrificing the deliciousness of the meal if you skip the fall-colored M&M candy dish and stick with the homemade items.

At least you know homemade was crafted with real ingredients. And probably made with the secret ingredient of love!

6. Eat Slowly

This can be a hard one if you’re used to eating quickly!

But see if you can set your utensil down in between bites and mindfully savor the tastes and textures of the food, especially if you choose to indulge in something you wouldn’t normally eat.

This mindful eating habit creates more enjoyment from the food as well as be able to feel into when you are full without overeating.

7. It’s Okay To Say “No Thank You”

The bakers in our lives come out of the woodwork during the holidays, and you’re bound to encounter gifts of cookies, cakes, and candies at every turn.

Food is often a way some people show love, so it can be difficult to refuse the offer (especially for those of us who live in the “Minnesota Nice” culture!).

Prepare yourself for this and know that saying “no thank you” is always an acceptable answer.

Compliment your friend or loved one on their hard work while also honoring yourself with something like, “This looks incredible, but sweet treats don’t agree with me these days.” You can acknowledge their gesture of love and care while also being true to what’s best for your body and needs this year.

One last piece of advice: don’t get mad at yourself! If you end up eating a slice of Grandma’s classic pie recipe, don’t give up on all healthy eating until the new year. Enjoy it in the moment by savoring each bite without guilt and, the morning after Thanksgiving, get right back to your healthy habits with a balanced breakfast.

“My way of successfully enjoying the holidays is to moderately indulge the day of celebration, love every minute of it, and get right back to balanced eating the next day. I know full well that eating that pumpkin dessert is going to stir up the sugar monster in me but I also know that if I get right back to balanced eating the desire will dwindle in a couple of days.” – Teresa Wagner, RD, LD

8. Remember The Benefits Of Eating Together. 

There’s new research out that shows the benefits of having a family meal. Humans have been gathering around mealtimes for centuries!

Part of being a healthy human is having social interaction, so remember the meal is more than just the food on the table. It’s also about the communal act of gathering and enjoying each other’s company, whether it's with family or chosen family.

Sample Healthy Thanksgiving Menu

Whether you are the one hosting and planning the menu yourself or whether you’re asked to bring a dish, here are some of our dietitians and nutritionists’ favorite recipes:

• Brined and Roasted Turkey: Lean protein source.

• Green Bean Casserole: Fiber-rich and low-carb.

• Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Pomegranate Salad: Vitamin C and antioxidants (and hearty enough to make a day in advance!).

• Sweet Potato Casserole: High in vitamin A and a great concentrated carbohydrate choice as a healthy mashed potatoes option.

• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars: Delicious dessert with essential minerals.

• Fun Cocktail Alternatives: Very little sugar and no additional empty calories while still being festive.

Need even more inspiration? Check out this expansive recipe collection for great recipes to add to your menu.

Healthy Thanksgiving Holiday Meal

It is possible to celebrate the holiday in a festive and nostalgic, but healthier way. By following these tips, or any you’ve perfected over the years, you can start the holiday season off on the right foot.

Eat throughout the day like normal, skip the sugar/refined flour/damaged fat foods, opt for the homemade dishes, bring a real food option to share, balance your plate, and eat slow.

Drink enough water the entire day and remember research shows gathering in groups to share a meal is not just about nutrition. Adding in a healthy dose of gratitude and you’ll be set for a happy, healthy, nourishing season.

For more ideas on how to have a healthy Thanksgiving, check out these resources:

READ: Healthy Holiday Tips From The Nutritionists & Dietitians

TRY:Real Food Recipes for Thanksgiving (update link to new recipe article)

LISTEN: How to Get Your Eating Back on Track