With Thanksgiving the start of the holiday season, temptations are all around us, and making healthy and smart food choices can be challenging. The average North American may consume more than 3,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving day, which does not include breakfast, mid-day snacking, or late-night eating. Regardless of the exact number of calories that are consumed on the holiday, we probably eat far too much andThankgiving dinner is the best way to put on unwanted pounds. But we do not have to put on the weight if we pay attention and practice portion control along with following some other simple healthy tips. You can enjoy your favorite foods without gaining a pound

1. Watch your portion sizes. Fill half your plate with fruits and veggies. Enjoy your favorite holiday treat but take a small portion. Stick all those Thanksgiving sides on a smaller plate. Research shows this will help you eat 22 percent fewer calories.
2. Think maintenance. Don’t try to diet during the holidays. Try to maintain your current weight. At the very least, now is not a time to begin a diet.
3. Eat before you eat. Skipping breakfast in order to “save your appetite” for dinner probably isn’t the best idea. This may lead to binging later on. Enjoy a healthy snack such as yogurt, fruit, soup, salad. However, go easy on the apps. Cheese and crackers can happen any day of the year. Save your appetite, and calorie consumption, for dinnertime.
4. Be mindful and make only one plate. Look at all your options before making your final food choices making sure all the calories you consume are worth it. Choose only the foods you really want and keep your portions moderate.
5. Make sure to drink water throughout the day to stay hydrated. Not drinking enough H2O, your mind often interprets thirst for hunger pangs. Water will help your stomach stay full, which can help you from over-eating. With water you won’t pack on any extra calories that you would with soft drinks and alcohlic beverages.
6. If you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner, you are in complete control of what goes into the food, so lighten it up by making some swaps. If you are not hosting, ask if you can bring a dish so you know there will be at least one healthy item at dinner. Use low sodium broth instead of regular, plain non-fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, whole grains instead of white, applesauce instead of butter, and herbs and spices instead of salt.
7. There have been some studies done suggesting that eating in softer light may lead to consuming less food. So create a nice intimate ambiance that everyone will love.
8. Wait 20 minutes, which is the amount of time it takes to register that you are full, before filling up the dinner plate again. Or don’t fill up and your waist line will love you.
9. Remain relaxed and chew your food thoughly and slowly. This may lead to less calories consumed. Digging into your plate of food too quickly could lead to indigestion and that dredded “stuffed” feeling from overindulgence.
10. The holidays shouldn’t be about restricting certain foods. Try to enjoy them in moderation, For dessert stick to one slice of pie, or serving of ice cream.
11. Best suggestion is to leave the dinner table when you have finished eating. Have coffee and dessert in a diffent room will help you avoid leftover snacking if you stay at the dinner table.
12. One hour spent clearing the table and washing dishes while you’re standing can whittle off about 100 calories.

Thanksgiving is an important family holiday, so don’t forget about what it really means. Focus more on spending time with family than food and you will have a happy, healthy Thanksgiving