Thanksgiving Nutrition

This week begins a yearly journey for many people. A journey that the probably wish they didn't go on. A journey to pack on 5-10lbs of blubber. Depressing huh? Make this year different. The holiday season doesn't have to be all bad. In fact it can be a nutritional feast! I found the below article that extols the benefits of various thanksgiving foods. I've add commentary as usually and bolded the good stuff.

During the holidays, I typically offer endless advice on how people can trim down their meals. But this time I'm touting the good stuff that's hidden within our traditional holiday fare. Hooray! But remember, you still have to be accountable for calories, fat, and sugar. Dietitians are obsessed with calories, fat, and sugar. Get proactive instead. Look for nutrient dense and high protein choices.



Turkey
Skinless turkey provides ample protein with very little fat. It's also a good source of several B-vitamins and selenium.
4-ounce servings:
Turkey breast without skin - 153 calories, 1 gram fat You should hord all the left overs of this part of the turkey to have the week after thanksgiving for various meals. "Regular" folks don't appreciate the joys of skinless turkey breasts - give 'em the dark meat.
Turkey breast with skin - 214 calories, 8 grams fat
Dark meat without skin - 211 calories, 8 grams fat
Dark meat with skin - 250 calories, 13 grams fat
Turkey wing with skin - 235 calories , 11 grams fat

Candied Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are nutritional powerhouses. They're an excellent source of beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Sweet potatoes rock! But they are sweet enough as it is - See if you can score some unCandied yams.

Cranberry Sauce
A half-cup of fresh cranberries provides 10% of the daily value for vitamin C. What's more, according to the largest USDA study on antioxidant rich foods, cranberries ranked #6! Just make sure your cranberry sauce isn't loaded with high fructose corn syrup because that will essentially negate all the benefits from the antioxidants.

Pecan Pie
Fresh pecans play a starring role in this delicious dessert. Pecans provide a good source of heart-healthy fat (they contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), along with some fiber, vitamin E, and zinc. They ranked #14 in the USDA's study on antioxidant rich foods. Pecans are a nice substitute for is you are looking for a buttery flavor but extolling the health benefits of pecan pie is too far fetched for me.

Homemade Apple Pie
One medium-sized apple contains only 80 calories and has zero grams of fat. Plus, they are a good source of fiber -- specifically soluble fiber -- the type that stabilizes your blood sugar levels and helps lower bad cholesterol. I love apples. I wrote a whole article on apples once. But this is the same situation as with pecans. Once you add a stick of butter to your apples the health value drops significantly.

Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin, a type of winter squash, is naturally fat free and packs only 30 calories per one-cup serving (of course, that's plain unadulterated pumpkin!). Pumpkin is also a good source of fiber, beta carotene, potassium, and two antioxidants called lutein and beta-cryptoxanthin. Lutein helps reduce the risk of macular degeneration and beta-cryptoxanthin helps fight arthritis. What is this woman's obsession with trying to make pies healthy?? Again pumpkin rocks but in a pie form you're getting much more than 30 calories per serving...

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I don't want people to think that I'm anti enjoying thanksgiving because of my comments because I'm not but I think it is important that we are honest about our food choices and not let our thanksgiving eating habits stretch to Christmas.