Today kicks off the start of my new Student Blog initiative.

I reached out to a group of nutrition students and aspiring dietitians from Ryerson University in order to provide them a platform to share their work, while also helping me to continue to provide meaningful content to my audience.

I am happy to introduce Abigail Rudson as today’s student guest blogger. Abigail is a fourth year nutrition student at Ryerson and avid foodie. In today’s article she teaches us how to come into Thanksgiving with a game plan and leave with no regrets.  

3 Steps To Eating Smart This Thanksgiving 

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I’m sure something we are all preparing for is the oh so familiar food-coma that follows the gluttony that comes with a traditional Thanksgiving feast. However, there are three ways in which this indulgence can be managed without feeling as though you are missing out on any of the fun. 

1. Re-Consider Fasting 

It is common for people to feel as though fasting throughout the day may not only make “room” in their belly’s for all of Thanksgiving’s offerings, but another common misconception is that it will save precious calories for the ultimate binge. This may become problematic for some people because,  when we decide to fast for the duration of the day, it may give us the impression that we can eat as much as we want. Because we are coming to the table with such aggressive hunger, we may be more likely to eat greater amounts of food. So much so that it would defeat the purpose of fasting in the first place. 

2.  Map out your plate

During thanksgiving, it is common for us to forget all the parameters of the physical plate. A really good way to avoid going overboard would be to map out your plate and allocate spaces for veggies, proteins and starches so that you can better manage the portion sizes. A good rule of thumb would be to add veggies to the plate before anything else. If you are one to head back up for seconds (or thirds), make sure to give yourself time to decide if you’re truly hungry. Most of the time, our stomach is full but we do not give it the chance to send that message to receptors in our brain before going for another helping.

3.  Try “Two-bite” desserts

When it comes to desserts, I recommend having two bites (because one is never enough) of a few different selections. This way, you’re getting a taste of everything but still only consuming one portion. If there is one dessert that really takes the show, have it! Have a slice of that long-awaited pumpkin pie and enjoy it but allow that to be the star and try to keep the dessert to that one slice. 

These are just a few of the ways to be mindful of  your eating habits over the holidays. It is important to look for ways in which we can stay on track of making healthier choices and maintain a healthy lifestyle but most importantly, enjoy these traditions with family and friends. Happy  Thanksgiving!

Thank you Abigail for your contribution and I hope everyone enjoyed her helpful Thanksgiving tips!

Andy De Santis RD MPH