Full Day of Eating: A Tale of Two Thanksgivings
What to Eat on Thanksgiving Day
The most common question we get asked around the holidays is a panicky “HOW DO I STAY ON PLAN/WHAT SHOULD I EAT ON THE BIG DAY?” In this blog post we’ve featured two full day of eating menus (and exercise plans). One is based on the Standard American Diet (SAD) , the other is what we are calling a Couture Thanksgiving.
The Couture Thanksgiving menu is what I’ll likely be eating on Thanksgiving Day. It frontloads protein and is calculated based on typical Thanksgiving dishes and does not require any special low-cal/low-fat/low-carb cooking or recipes (aint nobody got time for that!). The SAD Thanksgiving illustrates how fat and carbs tend to be high where holiday cooking is involved, so try to pack the first meals of the day with protein and lots of filling veggies. If you plan to enjoy some wine or cocktails during the day, forego some carbs during the meal — maybe you’ll swap wine for mashed potatoes that swap will be well worth the exchange. The overall macros are in line with a reasonable daily caloric budget, but slightly lower in protein and higher in carbs. But it’s only one day and some days are meant for eating more carbs!
We wish you a blessed and healthy Thanksgiving. Bon appetit!
Couture Thanksgiving - 1900 to 2000 calories
Breakfast
Egg white scramble: 1 cup egg whites, 1 cup spinach, 1/2 cup zucchini, 1/4 cup diced red pepper (saute veggies with a spray of Pam and then add in egg whites)
1 slice Nature’s Own Butter Bread + 1 tbsp. strawberry jam
Mid-morning Snack
1/2 cup Oikos Triple Zero Greek Yogurt
1/3 cup blueberries
Lunch
2 rice cakes
4 ounces deli ham
1 wedge Laughing Cow
3 ounces baby carrots + 3 ounces celery + 2 tbsps. light ranch dressing
Dinner
4 ounces turkey
1/2 cup stove top stuffing (prepared)
1/2 cup green bean casserole
1/2 cup sweet potato casserole
1 serving cranberry walnut salad
Dinner roll w/ one pat of butter
5 ounces Pinot Noir (counted as carbs)
Coffee with 1 tbsp. heavy cream
1 serving pumpkin pie (store prepared)
Exercise
Long walk for movement, fresh air, and to get out of the kitchen! (10,000 steps = 400 to 500 calories burned)
MFP Macros: 1992 calories; 127 P; 250 C; 61 F; 23 Fiber
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SAD Thanksgiving - 4300 to 4500 calories
Exercise
30 minute run so I can eat whatever I want! (300 calories burned)
Breakfast
Cinnamon Roll
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Lunch
Skipping lunch to save calories for the big meal!
Snacks/Appetizers
Crackers
Cheese ball
Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Mixed nuts (gotta get some protein in!)
2 beers (pale ales)
Dinner
Turkey (x2 because . . . seconds!)
1/2 cup stuffing (x2 servings because . . . seconds!)
1/2 cup mashed potatoes (x2 because . . . seconds!)
1/2 cup sweet potato casserole
1/2 cup green bean casserole
2 dinner rolls with 2 pats of butter
2 glasses Pinot Noir
Dessert
1 slice pumpkin pie
1 slice pecan pie (YOLO - Thanksgiving only comes once a year, better partake!)
2 glasses champagne
Estimated Macros: 4363 calories; 116 P; 477 C; 180 F; 22 fiber
One thing about this SAD Thanksgiving meal . . . if you roll into Thanksgiving having eaten only 1200 calories a day for the rest of the week so you can blow it out on Thanksgiving (and this is your chronic pattern - restrict during the week so you can blow it out on the weekends/holidays) - you are going to be very sad the days after Thanksgiving. You are going to be feeling stuffed like the Thanksgiving turkey because your body is going to be bloated and may hold onto every morsel you consumed on Thanksgiving. A better strategy is to get off that calorie roller coaster and give your body quality, adequate nutrition every day so that it has the metabolic capacity for handling high calorie days like Thanksgiving.
On the other hand, if you do end up having a SAD Thanksgiving, don’t despair. It’s only one day and you can get right back on track on Black Friday. It’s never too late to get back on plan.
For more tips on building strength, boosting your metabolism, and staying fit year-round, schedule a free weight loss strategy call here. Let’s make this your healthiest holiday season yet!
