10/29/2004

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Chow Line: Be wary of gobbling Thanksgiving calories (for 11/7/04)

Writer:

Martha Filipic
filipic.3@osu.edu
(614) 292-9833

Source:

Sharron Coplin, Human Nutrition

How can I make Thanksgiving dinner more healthful?

With a main dish of lean poultry and a traditional dessert made from squash, you wouldn't think this would be so difficult. But estimates of the calories in the traditional Thanksgiving dinner range from anywhere to 2,000 to 4,500, depending on what you put on the plate. Given that people of average size who get moderate activity should average between 1,600-2,400 calories per day, by any standards this is a hefty meal.

Still, there's lots of potential for making Thanksgiving dinner lighter and much more healthful. Turkey is one of the leanest meats around. Both sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie are great sources of beta carotene. White potatoes, even if they're mashed and served with gravy, aren't a bad source of potassium.

Still, you can trim some fat and calories from the feast without feeling like you're going without. Here are some ideas:

• Serve fresh vegetables and cut fruit as appetizers. If you fill up on them, you'll be less likely to gorge yourself on higher-fat, higher-calorie foods at the table.
• Baste the bird with de-fatted chicken or turkey stock. You can buy fat-free broth, or put regular canned broth in the refrigerator and scoop out the "clumped up" fat before using the broth. You can make your gravy with fat-free broth and milk, too, or just buy fat-free gravy off the store shelf and use it (if store-bought gravy is permissible at your Thanksgiving table).
• Use nonfat milk and skip the butter as you mash potatoes.
• Prepare sweet potatoes with little or no marshmallow cream, butter or brown sugar. Or, try a brand-new recipe, baking sweet potatoes in a casserole with some diced apples and raisins, with a little butter spray for flavor.
• Make your own cranberry relish or "salsa" instead of serving the high-sugar variety. You can find low-sugar recipes in your newspaper's food section, in home or food magazines, and on the Internet.
• At the table, enjoy the turkey without the turkey skin. The skin is where almost half the fat resides.
• Reduce calories in pumpkin pie by using non-fat evaporated milk instead of cream in your recipe.

Finally, get outdoors and take a walk, either before or after dinner -- or both. A little physical activity is always a good idea.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1044, or filipic.3@osu.edu.

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Editor: This column was reviewed by Sharron Coplin, registered dietitian and Ohio State University Extension nutrition associate in the College of Human Ecology.