It’s Thanksgiving week here in the US. While the holiday should stand for gratitude, for many of us, it has become a bit of an eating gauntlet. Especially for any of us with more than one celebration to attend. As we head into holiday mode (regardless of where you are in the world), I want to share my best tips to approach these celebrations with mindfulness.

This is not strictly a nutrition post, but as always, please remember that my training is in exercise physiology. I am not a nutritionist or dietitian. That being said, these tips are general and should work for anyone. Obviously, take into account any medical conditions you need to manage and plan appropriately.

I am not going to tell you to skip rolls or to spend an hour on the treadmill the day prior. I will remind you that these are holiDAYS. Not weeks. One day is not going to derail you. Now, if you allow that to bleed into days, that might. And I know you are going to say, “but, Melissa… leftovers!” I hear you, leftovers rule. (The best part is not having to cook – and clean up – again.) I’ll get to this issue in a bit, though.

First, decide what is important to you. This applies as much to your overall experience as it does to just food. If it’s important to seek out a certain person that you don’t get to see often, then make sure that takes priority. Social and Emotional connections are part of what holidays are about. Same as your plate. If there is something that you really love, give that priority.

Thanksgiving can be a carbohydrate bomb. And I love me some carbs. Stuffing, dressing, rolls, creamed corn, and literally all the potatoes. I am judicious in my choices, though. I can have rolls and mashed or roasted potatoes many other times during the year. Stuffing is a personal fave and I get it twice a year. You can bet it’s making it on my plate. Because of the bread, I don’t usually feel the need to have rolls. I will also eat sweet potatoes in any form they come in so those end up on my plate, too.

Second, what is special or unique? These could be foods that are literal holiday foods and you only get once or twice a year. These could be things that are unique to your family’s (or friends) celebration. These could be things that are culturally unique.

Both my and my husband’s families are Italian American. This usually means that some form of homemade pasta is a feature. When I was little, my dad’s family would only have pasta for holidays. Handmade by my grandpa and accompanied by my grandma’s made from scratch sauce. My brother and I usually share responsibility now depending on where we are celebrating. I rock some awesome homemade pasta, he does bread. When we are at my in-laws, it’s my father-in-law who usually makes gnocchi.

My point is that these are homemade, handmade goodies. You can bet these make it on my plate. My husband’s family is from a different part of the state and their holiday table looks different. My mother-in-law makes a potato filling/dressing that his family goes nuts over, again because it is culturally significant in their part of the state and something they all remember from holidays past.

These types of dishes that represent the intangible social and emotional connections from our past are more, and should be viewed as more, than just calories. Time, energy, tradition, and love go into these, and the memories associated with these foods are important. If those dishes are sweet potato pie, creamed corn, macaroni and cheese, lobster, oysters, mushroom gravy, wild rice pilaf, whatever, give the unique or not often eaten things preference on your plate.

Third, dessert. Is it even a holiday if there aren’t six desserts on the buffet? My brother and I still tease my mom about the Thanksgiving they came down to visit us while my husband was finishing grad school. There were five of us present. My mom brought five pies. I mean, that’s a good ratio and, full disclosure, one of my family’s Thanksgiving traditions is pie for breakfast on Black Friday morning. My point here is that gatherings will always be flush with dessert.

My previous two guides still work. Decide what is important. Is it the pie or the whipped cream that comes with it? If you are my dad, they both hold equal sway. Decide what is unique and only available a few times per year. Again, brownies can be eaten at any other time during the year. My mom’s pies? Not so much. And she makes the best pies. You can argue with the wall on that one.

Fourth, keep in mind standard mindful cues. Take smaller portions that you think you’ll eat. Remember this is holiday food, so it’s probably cooked with more butter, cream, salt, and sugar than you usually eat. You’ll fill up quickly, but there will be enough for seconds if you want. Eat until you are 80% full. All jokes about undoing buttons aside, that isn’t a comfortable feeling. When your favorite goodies stop tasting ah-ma-zing, move on. Drink plenty of water and eat slowly. Give your body time to realize you are full. And really take the time to enjoy the deliciousness.

And lastly, what do we do with those aforementioned leftovers? Remember, we don’t want to end up blowing a week. My general rule of thumb is to concentrate on protein. No matter how you prepare turkey, it’s still protein. Ditto if your Thanksgiving features ham or lobster or beef. Start your leftover plates here.

Then, pick one of the sides. There will be enough leftovers for you to eat a different one next time, it’s okay, trust me. Then fill the rest of your plate (half) with veggies. Not green bean casserole or creamed corn, those are leftover sides. Salad or steamed veggies. Fresh fruit if you don’t love vegetables. You’ll be able to enjoy leftovers without overindulging. The protein will keep you full and the veggies will ensure you are getting fiber and nutrients.

Thank you, Warriors, for being here. If you are in the US, have a wonderful Thanksgiving and if you are elsewhere, have a wonderful week!

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