Low Carb Dietitian
  • Home
  • Book
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Research
  • Links
  • My Diet Doctor articles

Thanksgiving: Reflecting on Freedom of Choice

11/21/2011

7 Comments

 
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  From delicious food lovingly prepared to time spent with family to the crisp autumn weather, it just doesn't get any better. At our Thanksgiving  dinner it's customary for everyone to say what he or she is thankful for. While global conditions are certainly not ideal (including  high unemployment in the U.S. , the default crisis in Europe,  and alarming levels of obesity and diabetes everywhere), they are considerably better than at many other times in history. I believe it's important to remember the wonderful things we have going for us as a nation (the Four Freedoms, no imminent threat from abroad, and infinite amounts of information at our fingertips online, to name just a few) as well as our own personal blessings.

For many,  Thanksgiving is synonymous with "dietary overindulgence" as well.  Some expect to overeat, but others try to maintain some semblance of restraint on this holiday. However, despite their best intentions to eat moderately,  even conscientious types tend to consume high-calorie and high-carbohydrate appetizers and sides, turkey with plenty of gravy, and a generous slice of pie a la mode to top it off.  For those newly committed to a low-carb lifestyle, it may be very difficult to resist your favorite foods.  I can relate.

This will be my first Thanksgiving eating low-carb, as well as the first time I've eaten the turkey in about ten years. Tofurkey has served as my main entree since 2001, and I'm so glad to be rid of that rubbery, highly processed soy concoction once and for all. And while I'm definitely very happy eating low carb, I've got to admit that I'm going to miss the stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams, cranberries, and pumpkin pie (the rolls I could always take or leave).  But as good as these foods may taste, they're just not worth soaring blood sugar levels followed by the inevitable reactive hypoglycemia. For the person restricting carbohydrates for weight control, is eating a traditional Thanksgiving meal really a fair trade-off for the nausea, bloating, and several pounds of fluid gain that are sure to follow the next morning?

It's my turn to host the holiday meal, and I'm going to make sure to have all of those items on my table for the rest of my family (except Tofurkey -- everyone thought I was crazy for eating that year after year!)  But I'm intent on having a delicious, low carb, healthy, satisfying, real food feast of my own. 

So what will I be eating for dinner on Thursday, how much, and how many carbs will I end up consuming?  Here's the plan:

1. Organic turkey, dark meat, no gravy.  6 to 8 ounces; zero grams carbs

2. Mixed green salad with olive oil and red-wine vinegar.  2 cups;  5 grams carbs 

3. Yams with butter and cinnamon. 1/2 cup; 15  grams carbs

4.  Green beans with butter and garlic. 1 cup; 7 grams carbs

5. Berries with whipped cream. 1/2 cup berries: 5 grams carbs. 1/2 cup whipped cream: zero grams carbs 

6. Bite of my husband's pumpkin pie (no crust). About 2 grams carbs  

The total for this meal is around 34 grams of carbs, which is 10-15 grams more than I usually eat, but still pretty low and definitely much less than any Thanksgiving dinner I've eaten in the past. Packed with fiber, moderate in protein, high in healthy fats, and rich in vitamins and minerals, this meal has a high satiety factor as well as being extremely nutritious.

So what am I personally thankful for?  My family and friends, wonderful job, and home are certainly up at the top of my list. But good health is equally important, and I  feel so fortunate to live in a country where nourishing foods are available year-round and we're free to eat them in whatever quantity we desire.  We are the only ones who ultimately have control over what we eat and drink, so let's choose wisely this Thanksgiving and always in order to be as healthy as we can be. Have a wonderful holiday!
7 Comments

    Author 

    Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE

    Categories

    All
    Academy Of Nutrition And Dietetics
    American Diabetes Association
    Answers.com Articles
    Authority Nutrition Articles
    Bone-health
    Bpa
    Calories
    Cardiovascular Disease
    Dairy
    Diabetes
    Dietetic Associations
    Fiber
    High Fat
    Hyperinsulinemia
    Inflammation
    Insulin Resistance
    Introduction
    Ketogenic Diets
    Low Carb
    Muscle Mass
    Net Carbs
    Paleo
    PCOS
    Primal
    Protein
    Quick Low Carb Treats
    Quick Low-Carb Treats
    Recommended Reading
    Restaurants
    Reviews
    Saturated Fat
    Seafood
    Sugar Addiction
    Thanksgiving
    Thyroid
    Veganism
    Weight Management
    Weston A. Price Foundation

    Archives

    July 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Book
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Research
  • Links
  • My Diet Doctor articles