Some dedicated Iowans are up early this morning, starting to prepare the traditional Thanksgiving meal for their families.
Amy Lukas, a clinical dietician at University Hospitals in Iowa City, says a few wise alterations in the recipes might help you avoid needing alterations in your waistline. One nice thing, Lukas says the holiday meals are based mostly on healthy foods like lean turkey, sweet potatoes and cranberries, which are full of antioxidants, but they’re often prepared in unhealthy ways.
She recommends using better, lower fat cooking methods. Lukas says health-minded cooks can use skim milk in the mashed potatoes and less margarine or butter — or none at all and let people put their own on. Serve the gravy on the side, not on top of the potatoes. Use evaporated skim milk in the pumpkin pie. She says to look online for more healthy recipes as there are hundreds of cooking websites.
Lukas says fighting the holiday heft involves eating right -and- exercising. While some Iowans are reluctant to get outside once it gets cold, she says it doesn’t have to be a chore. Lukas says plan a family event, play with the kids in the snow, go with the family for a walk around the block. She also says consider going caroling so you’re both getting exercise and you’re doing something nice for your neighbors too.
Lukas says the average Iowan packs on between one and five pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. She says instead of trying to lose weight over the holidays, focus more on maintaining your weight by enjoying the foods you like but just in small amounts.