Spring Break
Eating healthy during the holiday season
Busy Bodies
Issue date: 11/29/07
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Thanksgiving has become a day not only to give thanks but also to loosen the belt buckle and indulge. The enticing aroma of turkey in the oven and sight of fresh baked apple pie can make your taste buds melt. It takes all the willpower in the world not to get seconds.
I don't mean to ruin your appetite, but have you considered how many calories you consumed last Thursday? Sure, one day of feasting won't send you over the deep end, but Thanksgiving is just the beginning.
Holiday parties and treats are waiting to tempt you in the upcoming weeks of the holiday season, and this can add up to a few extra unwanted pounds.
On Thanksgiving, you probably consumed a meal that looks a lot like this: four ounces of a mixture of untrimmed white and dark meat turkey (350 calories), one cup of mashed potatoes (150 calories) and one cup of homemade stuffing (a whopping 400 calories).
If you drenched your food with gravy, you slathered on an additional 300 calories. I'm sure you topped it off with a slice of apple pie and a half-cup of ice cream (650 calories).That's nearly 2,000 calories on your plate - not to mention the drinks, appetizers and second helpings. On Thanksgiving, it's easy to consume more than 4,000 calories and 250 grams of artery-clogging fat.
According to the American Council of Exercise, "to burn off a 3,000 calorie Thanksgiving Day meal, a 160-pound person would have to run at a moderate pace (about six miles per hour) for four hours, swim for five hours or walk for 30 miles." That's more than a marathon.
If this causes you a bit of guilt about last Thursday's indulgences, don't fret. You can still enjoy your holiday favorites through portion control and healthier alternatives.
Making some changes in your choices at the next big holiday meal can cut a lot of calories. Try to eat white meat without the skin, not the untrimmed dark meat slices. Skip the apple pie and cookies and stick with pumpkin pie, which is only about 150 calories per slice.
I don't mean to ruin your appetite, but have you considered how many calories you consumed last Thursday? Sure, one day of feasting won't send you over the deep end, but Thanksgiving is just the beginning.
Holiday parties and treats are waiting to tempt you in the upcoming weeks of the holiday season, and this can add up to a few extra unwanted pounds.
On Thanksgiving, you probably consumed a meal that looks a lot like this: four ounces of a mixture of untrimmed white and dark meat turkey (350 calories), one cup of mashed potatoes (150 calories) and one cup of homemade stuffing (a whopping 400 calories).
If you drenched your food with gravy, you slathered on an additional 300 calories. I'm sure you topped it off with a slice of apple pie and a half-cup of ice cream (650 calories).That's nearly 2,000 calories on your plate - not to mention the drinks, appetizers and second helpings. On Thanksgiving, it's easy to consume more than 4,000 calories and 250 grams of artery-clogging fat.
According to the American Council of Exercise, "to burn off a 3,000 calorie Thanksgiving Day meal, a 160-pound person would have to run at a moderate pace (about six miles per hour) for four hours, swim for five hours or walk for 30 miles." That's more than a marathon.
If this causes you a bit of guilt about last Thursday's indulgences, don't fret. You can still enjoy your holiday favorites through portion control and healthier alternatives.
Making some changes in your choices at the next big holiday meal can cut a lot of calories. Try to eat white meat without the skin, not the untrimmed dark meat slices. Skip the apple pie and cookies and stick with pumpkin pie, which is only about 150 calories per slice.
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