Ways to Keep Your Family Healthy This Thanksgiving

The average Thanksgiving meal tallies around 3,000 calories, twice the amount needed daily by most adults, and that doesn’t include the snacking that occurs before and after. So although this food-centered holiday is a wonderful time to give thanks and be with family, it can put a damper on your healthy lifestyle. Here are a few ways for you and your family to stay active and healthy this Thanksgiving.

Find Meal Alternatives

Whether you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house, or attending a dinner elsewhere, there is an opportunity for you to provide alternatives to the high calorie, classic Thanksgiving food. From healthy stuffing, to substituting mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes, to low-fat desserts, making these alternatives will allow you to enjoy a feast and not feel guilty afterwards.

Turkey Trot

A fun exercise for the entire family is participating in a local fun run/walk the morning of Thanksgiving. Various “Turkey Trots” and other Thanksgiving marathons and races occur nationwide ever year and are the perfect way to get exercise bright and early before partaking in food festivities.

And while you are out getting active with your family, don’t forget to snap a photo of the fun and enter our #MilesforStJude photo contest. You can enter here once a day during the month of November for a chance to win a $1000 donation to St. Jude in your family’s honor. Another incentive to get active this Thanksgiving!

Getting Back on Track

If you’re the type that doesn’t want to wake up early and run, or substitute any traditional Thanksgiving food, consider using the weekend after the holiday to get back on track with your healthy lifestyle. Since it’s a holiday weekend, it’s the perfect opportunity to spend time with family doing different activities. This can include hiking scenic trails while enjoying the fall weather, playing a game of flag football, or going Black Friday shopping. No activity is too small!

What are you and your family’s favorite activities to partake in during the holiday season?

References

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/thanksgiving_collection_1