Happy Monday, guys! Who is freaking ready for the holiday? Ours technically started last Thursday, but we’re still missing a couple family members. Travis flies in tonight and my sister the next. There’s just something so special about having all your family members under one roof that makes my heart smile. Don’t get me wrong, I love Thanksgiving food, but I more than cherish the family time that surrounds that meal.
On the food front though, do you guys have certain dishes you make year after year? We have our set dishes – twice baked potatoes, sweet potato casserole – that we make each year, but we are open to additions. When Travis married in we added his grandmother’s chocolate pie to the menu. And this year we are going to try smoking a turkey in addition to our regular turkey. I actually think I love cooking the food as much as eating it. Maybe more. The day of and the day before typically involves our entire family standing around the kitchen island in a cooking frenzy. It’s fun. 🙂
The more I’ve started to help cook the food, the more I’ve come to understand why Thanksgiving food tastes so good. When you find out how much butter, sour cream and cream cheese goes into some of the dishes, you get it. Now knowing how much fat and sugar goes into some of these dishes, I’ve tried to regroup a little bit on my Thanksgiving food strategy. I think indulging a bit is very healthy and good, but I also don’t want to feel sick. I’ve been eating a pretty regimented, healthy diet lately while training for the 1/2 marathon and I know that not only will I regret ruining my progress, but my body probably won’t process it well either because it’s not used to it.
So this year I’ve created some tips (with the help of my mom) for a healthy Thanksgiving. These tips allow you to enjoy all the tasty dishes, but still feel good physically by day’s end. We’re hoping to avoid that bloated, food coma feeling.
TIPS FOR A HEALTHY THANKSGIVING:
- EAT BREAKFAST
- START YOUR DAY WITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
- HELP COOK
- SET YOUR PORTIONS
- EAT SLOWLY
- BE A CHATTY KATHY
- REMIND YOURSELF OF YOUR GOALS
- DRINK LOTS OF WATER
- PICK YOUR POISON – it’s okay to indulge a bit
- BUFFET > FAMILY STYLE
And as far as clothing goes, I plan on going the simple route this year for Thanksgiving. In the past I’ve opted for cute sweater dresses, but this year I’m going the easy route. I’ve narrowed it down to two main looks. The first look is this sweater from LOFT. And the second, is this white flutter sleeve top from Banana Republic. I love that it’s clean and simple, but the sleeves give it a little extra pizazz. It fits true to size and is most definitely great on it’s own or layered under a fur stole or a vest.
top: banana republic | denim: 7 for all mankind | shoes: sam edelman | bag: banana republic | sunnies: karen walker
photography: fort lion studio
