How to Build a Healthier Thanksgiving Plate

It’s November, and that means you can plan for a big meal on the 22nd of this month. At The Lenore, we love Thanksgiving! And we’re pretty sure that residents of our Baltimore, MD apartment community do, too.

Today we’re sharing two tips on how to give a healthy spin on your Thanksgiving dinner plate. Why would we want to do that? Well, knowing that the average American consumes well over 2,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day, thinking a little healthy is not a bad idea.

Our first tip is to change the color of your plates. Did you know that changing the color of your plates can drastically change how much you eat? Dr. Brian Wansink and Dr. Koert van Ittersum discovered that it can. As they explain, “If your goal is to eat less, select plates that have high contrast with what you plan to serve for dinner. Want to eat more greens? Try serving them on a green plate!”

Avoid serving turkey and mashed potatoes on white plates to avoid eating too much. Think it’s a trick? Test it out by giving it a try!

Our second tip is to pay attention to portion sizes. With a big meal like Thanksgiving, Portion control is crucial. The following information comes from Huffington Post, Food Network, and MD Anderson:

— Turkey: 1.5 pounds per guest.
— Gravy: “¼ cup gravy per guest, and have about one extra cup for every six people.”
— Potatoes: ½ cup (about the size of a tennis ball cut in half).
— Stuffing: “Stuffing is one side dish you don't want to run out of, so assume each guest will eat about ¾ cup (cooked). If you know you’re feeding a crowd that especially loves stuffing and might want seconds — or thirds — bake an extra batch out of the turkey to have on hand just in case. You can always use any leftovers for sandwiches the next day.”
— Salad: 1 cup serving (about the size of a baseball).
— Rolls: “In order to keep your guests from filling up on bread before dinner even begins, serve rolls as a side dish with the main meal instead. For a heartier variation, substitute cornbread or popovers for regular dinner rolls.”

Did we miss any of your favorite holiday foods? Check the links above to find out about the recommended serving sizes.

Do you have any tips on giving your Thanksgiving plate a healthy makeover? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading. Happy Thanksgiving!