Thanksgiving is a time to be joyous and surrounded by family and friends. But we also know this holiday is heavily focused on eating! Who doesn’t love a reason to eat two slices of pie? Being a person with diabetes, having these traditional foods around during the holidays can add additional stress to your day. Let us take the worry away so you can enjoy the holiday with friends and family this year. Here is our quick guide to a diabetes friendly Thanksgiving dinner!
Tip 1: Plan on family friendly activities.
As much as we know, Thanksgiving is a holiday surrounded by food, try to think of other aspects of the day that you are looking forward to. Seeing a niece or cousin you haven’t seen in a while or bring a new game you can all play. Taking the focus away from the big dinner can help ease the stress, and in turn will help you to be mindful when eating dinner.
Tip 2: Be honest about your diabetes and let others know.
Don’t hesitate to talk to the host about some diabetes friendly options (if you’re not hosting yourself).
Tip 3: Bring a diabetes-healthy dish to the party.
Offer to bring a dish! That way you know all the ingredients that go into it and you can be comfortable and confident with your choices.
Tip 4: Choose your carbs wisely.
Do your research on which carbs will have the lowest sugar to volume ratio so you can be more comfortable not exactly measuring. Also, try to pick complex carbs instead of simple carbs.
Tip 5: Choose vegetables as your main option.
Load up on lower carb choices, such as all the cruciferous veggies! Just keep in mind about the condiments used to make the vegetable dishes as they may have added sugars to it to make them more festive. You know, that caramelized glaze on sweet potato pie!
Tip 6: Follow the healthy plate method for portion control.
Try to fill your plate with 50% non-starchy vegetables, 25% carbohydrates, and 25% proteins.
Tip 7: Take a walk after dinner.
Walk it off! Taking a little walk after a meal could help lower blood glucose levels. As always, consult your doctor about any physical activity changes that may be new to you.
Tip 8: Enjoy dessert with moderation.
It’s okay to have a small piece of dessert just plan wisely! If you know you want to have your grandma’s famous pumpkin pie, make sure you budget your carbs wisely during dinner.
Tip 9: Have a good time.
Enjoy your day and time with family and friends without any regrets or feelings of guilt after eating.