How to Navigate Eating on Thanksgiving

Avoid skipping meals

• Approach Thanksgiving day as you would any other 🙂
• You still need nourishment in the morning when you first feel hunger. Choose something with fiber and protein to help balance blood sugar and energy levels. If you show up to your Thanksgiving meal starving you’ll likely feel out of control.
• Allow yourself to eat to your comfortable fullness level, knowing you can always have a snack or meal later if you do feel hunger.
• Avoid an “all or nothing” mentality.

Balance your Thanksgiving meal

• Approach Thanksgiving meal as you would any other.
• Build your plate around your source of protein (typically turkey) and make 1/2 of the plate non-starchy vegetables (brussels sprouts, salad, green beans, etc) and 1/4 of the plate carbohydrate (stuffing, mashed potatoes, bread, etc).
• Tune into satiety cues before going in for seconds. What level of hunger/fullness are you at? Do you feel true hunger, or is it something else?
• Mindfully include other foods and beverages that are more abundant than typically (ex. alcohol, desserts, etc).

Add color to your plate

• Avoid the beige plate! Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing.
• Add color and variety to your meal with vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc.

Incorporate regular movement

• Add a mid-morning walk, turkey trot, or online workout video.

Avoid guilt, shame, punishment

• Avoid labeling foods as “good” or “bad”, food is not moral.

Enjoy the day ♥️

• Savor the taste of food, smell of food, and appreciation for the food present.
• Allow space for emotions or memories that Thanksgiving day brings.