stuff the turkey- not yourself!!

Need help decorating?

The holidays are a time for family and friends... and of course... FOOD.  It's okay to try things and indulge a little bit.  But, as is the theme for most of these posts- keep on track with portion control.  I found this helpful visual guide to help with the overindulgence that often accompanies these holiday meals!!

Pick and choose what you want to eat and what adds up to a healthy dinner plate.  You can select foods that you want to eat... so if you don't like pumpkin pie, maybe you want an extra serving of something else- it's up to you.

Some tips:

• Serve yourself fruits and vegetables first.  Fill at least half of your plate with them.
• Then serve yourself the protein. (Often this is served first, which can lead to overestimating the portion you want!!)
• Measure any sauces or gravy that you add to your food.  The calories and fat from these can quickly add up!!

UT MD Anderson experts share portion control

Keep in mind:

• Lose the clean plate mentality.  You don't need to eat your whole plate before you finish the meal.  If you are full, stop eating.
• Eat slowly.  Your brain has a lag time between being full and feeling full
• Don't feel the need to try everything.  Sometimes we feel the need to make people "feel good" by trying their dessert or side dish.  Don't feel you need to do this- eat what you want to stay on track!
• Remember to drink plenty of water during the holidays.  Sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger. 
• Remember to build exercise into your day.  If you are with your family, make it a group activity.  Walk in the park, run with the dog, etc.  This will make you feel good about yourself and jumpstart your metabolism for the day.
• Lastly, don't skip meals or show up to dinner starving. You will have a tendency to overeat on the bread or appetizers served (which are often high in fat and calories).

"Whipping up healthy recipes may be easier than you think. You can make simple ingredient substitutions to create healthy recipes that don't sacrifice taste and enjoyment."  Give them a try this holiday!!

If your recipe calls for this ingredient:	Try substituting this ingredient:
Bacon	Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, smoked turkey or lean prosciutto (Italian ham)
Bread, white	Whole-grain bread
Bread crumbs, dry	Rolled oats or crushed bran cereal
Butter, margarine, shortening or oil in baked goods	Applesauce or prune puree for half of the called-for butter, shortening or oil; butter spreads or shortenings specially formulated for baking that don't have trans fats  Note: To avoid dense, soggy or flat baked goods, don't substitute oil for butter or shortening. Also don't substitute diet, whipped or tub-style margarine for regular margarine.
Butter, margarine, shortening or oil to prevent sticking	Cooking spray or nonstick pans
Cream	Fat-free half-and-half, evaporated skim milk
Cream cheese, full fat	Fat-free or low-fat cream cheese, Neufchatel, or low-fat cottage cheese pureed until smooth
Eggs	Two egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute for each whole egg
Flour, all-purpose (plain)	Whole-wheat flour for half of the called-for all-purpose flour in baked goods  Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour is less dense and works well in softer products like cakes and muffins.
Fruit canned in heavy syrup	Fruit canned in its own juices or in water, or fresh fruit
Ground beef	Extra-lean or lean ground beef, chicken or turkey breast (make sure no poultry skin has been added to the product)
Lettuce, iceberg	Arugula, chicory, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach or watercress
Mayonnaise	Reduced-calorie mayonnaise-type salad dressing or reduced-calorie, reduced-fat mayonnaise
Meat as the main ingredient	Three times as many vegetables as the meat on pizzas or in casseroles, soups and stews
Milk, evaporated	Evaporated skim milk
Milk, whole	Reduced-fat or fat-free milk
Oil-based marinades	Wine, balsamic vinegar, fruit juice or fat-free broth
Pasta, enriched (white)	Whole-wheat pasta
Rice, white	Brown rice, wild rice, bulgur or pearl barley
Salad dressing	Fat-free or reduced-calorie dressing or flavored vinegars
Seasoning salt, such as garlic salt, celery salt or onion salt	Herb-only seasonings, such as garlic powder, celery seed or onion flakes, or use finely chopped herbs or garlic, celery or onions
Soups, creamed	Fat-free milk-based soups, mashed potato flakes, or pureed carrots, potatoes or tofu for thickening agents
Soups, sauces, dressings, crackers, or canned meat, fish or vegetables	Low-sodium or reduced-sodium versions
Sour cream, full fat	Fat-free or low-fat sour cream, plain fat-free or low-fat yogurt
Soy sauce	Sweet-and-sour sauce, hot mustard sauce or low-sodium soy sauce
Sugar	In most baked goods you can reduce the amount of sugar by one-half; intensify sweetness by adding vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon
Syrup	Pureed fruit, such as applesauce, or low-calorie, sugar-free syrup
Table salt	Herbs, spices, citrus juices (lemon, lime, orange), rice vinegar, salt-free seasoning mixes or herb blends
Yogurt, fruit-flavored	Plain yogurt with fresh fruit slices

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!