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Thanksgiving guide - portion control tricks
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Thanksgiving with mom
Soon, it will be that special time of the year, Thanksgiving. And as we sit down to enjoy this once-a-year feast, the last thing that enters our mind is that dreaded, "portion control!" We Americans tend to want just a little bit of everything, from a few slices of that succulent carved turkey and a overfilled scoop of chicken stuffing and cranberry sauce to mom's mashed and sweet potatoes topped with her thick graveyies, home made rolls to that pumpkin and apple pie and ice-cream topped with that all time favorite, whipped cream! Gee, I feel stuffed just writing about it!
But, as we all know, there is much more to Thanksgiving than just eating. With many families even today, we enjoy the fellowship of our love ones and other family members, even if they are not so loved. Because, just short of being Christmas (OMG! It's almost Christmas again!) Thanksgiving is a time for sharing and fellowship. And as we all sit down to the table together, we can fellowship with one another.
Now, for some of us (I think I'm included in this group) we not only want to fellowship with family and friends, but some of us need to take it one step further. And that extra step would be, "portion control." Diabetics are well aware of this phenomenon and tend to practice this ritual a little more often than on Thanksgiving and other special holiday's than the rest of us. Because gone are the days that we see average portion size helpings delivered to our plate. Back in the days when all portions were much smaller, like cookies and bagels, well... they are just huge now. When todays cookies are seven times larger while bagels are 195 percent larger than what the USDA guidelines call for, well... it's just easier to get out of control. And the list goes on! So... for those of us that have a harder than average time in controlling our portions, here are a few guidelines to follow to make that life-after-Thanksgiving, well... a little more enjoyable!
1. Do an accurate measurement of food portions (I know you knew that was coming!)
2. It would be a good idea to learn how to estimate serving sizes. Associate known objects like a deck of cards to estimate portions of any meats and one cup of anything would be equal to a tennis ball and so forth. This skill comes in very handy when you are eating out! And, if you stick to it, it'll serve you right!
3. Use portion control dishware. I can't say enough here. Use smaller dishes, this illusion will make you think you're eating more when you're not and, believe it or not, you will (most of the time) feel full!
4. Try to use two separate rooms to dish out the food. If it's sitting right there in front of you, you will have the tendency to help yourself to a second or third round.
5. Carefully measure your oil's. Oils have a lot of fats, even your healthy oils carry a lot of fats. So be kind.
6. And, this last trick is probably the hardest of all. Say, when you're eating your meal, and when you're half way through, stop for a moment and let the thoughts from your brain tell you how full you are. If you think that you're not quite satisfied, then eat like 80% of your meal, then stop again to let your thoughts catch up. There will be some that will find this to be the hardest of all to accomplish, but it happens!
So, eat smart, but have fun doing it! And as always, I'll set the record straight and please subscribe! Happy Thanksgiving folks!
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