Top Tips for a Healthy, Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is tomorrow; and now is the perfect time to start planning for a healthy and happy holiday. To help you get organized, we rounded up our favorite healthy Thanksgiving tips, like involving kids in cooking nutritious dishes, getting the whole family moving before and after the meal, and more:

Involve kids in cooking the Thanksgiving meal
Parents can bring kids grocery shopping (extra credit: consider using a pedometer to measure steps), and then have them help with easy meal prep, like washing vegetables or measuring dry ingredients. Cooking together can be a great time to reinforce healthy eating habits and show children first-hand how nutritious dishes can be very delicious. Here are a couple of our favorite nutritious holiday recipes:

• Apple salad with figs and almonds from Mayo Clinic
• Spicy parmesan green beans and kale from Food Network
• Fresh figs with mascarpone and warm spiced honey from Whole Living

Don’t forget to eat breakfast
Canyons School District in Utah reminds its families about the importance of the morning meal – especially on Thanksgiving. If you scrimp on calories early in the day to save room for Thanksgiving dinner, you may end up over eating. Start the day with a hearty, healthy breakfast, like fresh fruit and hardboiled eggs.

Start an active after-dinner family tradition
Your family is bound to consume more calories than normal on Thanksgiving; help balance it out with some extra exercise. Go for a morning family bike ride or arrange a soccer game in the backyard after dinner. If you live in a cooler climate, go bowling or ice-skating to get an extra boost of activity in a fun environment.  On the Alliance for A Healthier Generation’s blog, “Easy Ways to Count Your Blessings—Not Your Calories—on Thanksgiving,” NBC’s TODAY Show Nutrition and Health Expert Joy Bauer recommends getting an early start.

“Take the family on a nice, long walk before the festivities begin. Not only will it burn some calories, but it also sets the tone for a healthy and fun day,” said Bauer.

Get creative with fruits and vegetables for school party snacks
Creative And Healthy Fun Food offers seven “Healthy Thanksgiving Fun Food Ideas,” like a turkey-inspired veggie platter.

How do you stay healthy and active during Thanksgiving? Share your healthy habits with us on Twitter, Facebook or by leaving a comment below.

Photo credit: LivingLocurto.com