Susan Weiner Nutrition

Thanksgiving is often stressful for many reasons. I’m sure we can all document many memorable Thanksgiving adventures. Who has traveled to grandmas in ghastly traffic or dealt with Aunt Edna’s comments about career choice? My favorite is the thought of  listening to  Uncle Stanley’s lecture on the state of economy. So this year, let’s vow not to make “eating” an additional stress. Eating on Thanksgiving can be a wonderful, non stressful and satisfying experience.

Let’s think about a few ways that we can avoid overeating on Thanksgiving. My first suggestion is to make sure you don’t leave the house if you are starving. If you are really hungry when you reach your destination, chances are you will be tempted to eat a lot of extra calories (especially if  Uncle Henry corners you about his multi level marketing idea). Eat an apple or another enjoyable fruit or cut up some celery and add a teaspoon of natural peanut butter before you venture out of your house. You’ll be in much better control when the appetizers arrive.

Try to limit your alcohol consumption (yes, I know this is difficult). Drink some water before you go for an alcoholic beverage. Alcohol has a lot of calories, and the more you drink, the more you might not care about what you eat.

Make sure you include veggies in your Thanksgiving feast.  If you don’t think your host will will have fresh vegetables available, offer to bring them! It will be a welcome addition to the meal. And it is unnecessary for 12 guests to bring dessert for 8 people. Someone should be assigned to bring some healthy, low calorie, fiber rich vegetables. If you are asked to bring dessert, offer to bring a fresh fruit platter. Everyone will appreciate the choice.

By all means have some of your favorite and traditional Thanksgiving dishes. Deprivation often leads to overeating so try to eat the more indulgent  foods in smaller portions. Put the turkey on your plate first, followed by vegetables and then add your favorite side dishes. Enjoy it all! Just try to limit the quantity.

Slow down and eat consciously. Believe me, you won’t run out of food. Decide what you would like to eat and portion it out! If you are used to eating lightly, don’t gorge yourself (you’ll feel sick). Remember that much of the traditional Thanksgiving fare is very high in fat (including cream sauces and butter) which could lead to stomach distress. Smaller portions and moderation is key!

Please don’t think of Thanksgiving as an eating orgy. Change your thoughts about the foods set in front of you. Consider the true meaning of the holiday. That’s right…. giving thanks. Go around the table and have everyone discuss what they are most thankful for. Perhaps the shared commentary by family and friends will be more satisfying then taking huge additional portions of candied yams and triple cream pie. Happy and healthy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

When I was in elementary school, it was a major “treat”  (as in special occasion) to drink chocolate milk with lunch or at snack time. This week the dairy industry (with support from the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics and The American Dietetic  Association and others) put forth a huge media extravaganza pushing milk…. including chocolate milk. What does this mean for schools? Although many school districts had previously banned chocolate milk from menus, kids everywhere are eating up the dairy industry’s recommendation and demanding the flavored milk once again.

Let’s consider the chocolate milk challenge. The dietary guidelines for Americans recommend that children age 9 and older consume 3 cups of low-fat or fat free (skim) milk products everyday (or an equivalent amount of another dairy product). If kids pick chocolate milk over unflavored low fat milk they will still get calcium and vitamin D. It is also true that bone density peaks during the teenage years and children often don’t consume enough calcium. (Some health officials suggest that if a child doesn’t get a serving of milk at school they will be more likely to fall short of his or her daily recommended intake of calcium). But is chocolate milk worth the calories and additional sugar? With the rise in childhood obesity perhaps low fat  unflavored milk should be promoted. Educating children on the benefits of skim or 1 % plain low fat milk might be a much better choice. I don’t think we should assume that children will stop drinking unflavored low fat milk, unless of course they are offered a more flavorful option!

There are also so many other ways for children to increase the amount of calcium in their diets. How about snacking on almonds or including collards greens in the veggie rotation at dinner? Low fat yogurt sprinked with almonds is another great choice.  When my children were young  I packed their lunches for school.  “What kind of vegetable do you want with lunch?” I asked with enthusiasm. Of course they would also have a colorful fruit included as well. They learned the meaning of balance and healthy eating while enjoying lunch at school.

So while we can debate whether the food industry has had a hand in promoting chocolate milk to children in schools, let’s remember that we are getting further and further away from childhood nutrition basics. Perhaps we should continue to educate our youngsters and provide nutritious food choices. Let’s consider offering low fat chocolate milk one day per week in the lunch room, and provide more raw vegetable choices at schools. If you have a young child, ask them to help you pack their lunch. Together you can make some terrific and healthy choices!