This year … live a healthier Thanksgiving!

A holiday dinner may not be the ideal time to start your diet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a healthier Thanksgiving.

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As we told you in the previous article, Thanksgiving is a celebration where families and friends come together to celebrate the blessings in their lives. However, thanks to the rich culture within the United States, this celebration can be experienced in many different ways. From fried plantains to chicken salad, in a home with Latino heritage there will always be something new to try on this holiday.

While the point of the holiday is to get together and enjoy time with family while eating delicious food, that’s no reason to give up your goal of eating healthy. It’s no secret that many Thanksgiving dishes are high in calories, saturated fats and refined sugars. 

So, what can you do to make your dinner healthier?

1. Go for healthy versions of traditional side dishes

For example, replace mayonnaise with a low-fat version, which has the same flavor but less saturated fat, or with Greek yogurt, which has fewer calories and is rich in protein. Another idea is to add a green salad to your usual list of side dishes or a fruit salad to your dessert list.

2. Reduce sugar consumption 

To give you an idea of how big the excess sugar intake is in the United States, the ideal intake is 9 teaspoons per day for men and six teaspoons per day for women. However, the average American consumes 40 kilograms of sugar a year – that’s about 30 teaspoons a day! This Thanksgiving, make it a goal not to accompany your dinner with sugary drinks such as sodas and processed juices. If you want to know more about this topic, click here.

3. Help your body detox

If despite following the two previous tips you still feel heavy after dinner, green juice is a great ally to detoxify your body. A mixture of green apple, spinach, celery and lemon will help improve your digestion and purify your body. For best results, drink your juice on an empty stomach. 

The SALUD team wishes you a great Thanksgiving!