Eating Well & Staying Active During the
Thanksgiving Season
Thanksgiving meals can tempt all of us – from the turkey and gravy to pumpkin pie and various deserts. Everyone should enjoy the holidays, but remember there are easy ways to maintain good health throughout the holiday season. Follow these tips to maintain a healthy balance:
- Use our Nutrition Fit Facts and Tips to learn more about healthy eating, such as foods to increase, foods to decrease, and balancing calories to manage weight. ChooseMyPlate is another great resource to learn the different food groups and requirements for each group, and find delicious and healthy recipes for you and your family. If you’re a wiz at building a healthy plate on a budget, register to enter the Fruits & Veggies Video Challenge.
- Research shows that parental role modeling – a learning technique in which parents’ behavior is mirrored by their children – is an important method of influencing children’s food intake. Be a healthy role model for your kids and consider leading by example, going food shopping with children, and getting creative in the kitchen when cooking healthy meals and snacks.
- Working towards your PALA+ is a great way to track your goals. PALA+ promotes both physical activity and good nutrition, because it takes both to lead a healthy lifestyle. Completing the six-week program will help you incorporate the physical activity you need to balance the stress of the holidays and the food temptations…and you’ll be well on your way to earning your PALA+. Learn more about PALA+.
- As you work towards your PALA+, remember the eight different healthy eating tips: make half your plate fruit and vegetables; make half the grains you eat whole grains; choose fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk, yogurt, or cheese; drink water instead of sugary drinks; choose lean sources of protein; compare sodium in foods like soup and frozen meals and choose foods with less sodium; eat some seafood; and pay attention to portion size. Incorporate these goals into your life – on a daily basis and at Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition!
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