How to Reduce the Calories in a Thanksgiving Dinner

I love thanksgiving dinners. This is the time you get together with your family members and enjoy a good time. The food is great and filling. Eating a big juicy turkey with stuffing is heaven on earth. The side dishes are also mouth watering. The drinks are overflowing. This is the life. However with most good things in life, there are drawbacks.

As a rule of thumb anything that tastes great means that it his high in fat and of course calories. We all know the detrimental effects that fatty food can have on your health and waistline. However there is good news. You can still enjoy a tasty thanksgiving dinner and not putting on the extra pounds by making a few adjustments.

With the turkey as with any birds, the fat is found mostly in the skin. The actual meat of the turkey is low in fat so try not to eat the skin. To maximize the flavor add some spices. Fat is also found in the gravy. You can remove the fat from the top of the gravy. Also there are many low fat brands of gravies you can purchase from a supermarket. The stuffing you put in a turkey may also be high in calories. If you are using bread to stuff the turkey, avoid using white bread. Use whole meal bread instead. If you are using rice in the stuffing, avoid white rice and use brown rice instead. Increase the use of vegetables in the stuffing. Also reduce the size of your portion that you consume. Eat in moderation to lower the calories. A good method is not to use the large plates that you see in restaurants. Use a smaller plate to fit less food and avoid going for seconds. Also to reduce calories use low fat ingredients in the cooking.

If you love salads avoid using dressings that are high in fat for example mayonnaise. Use lemon juice instead. You must also try to reduce the consumption of alcohol. If you love beer drink the ones that are low in carbohydrates. The best drink of course is water. Another tip is to avoid frying the vegetables. Instead steam it. Finally perform at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercises each morning. This is when your metabolism is at its highest. Even after you finish exercising, your body continues to burn more calories.

In you follow the above advice, you will still enjoy thanksgiving and you will feel better inside knowing that you will not put on extra pounds to your frame.

Enjoying your Thanksgiving with family and friends does not mean depriving yourself of a great meal. You can eat sensibly without gaining pounds.