Thanksgiving: Food for thought for dieters

guest — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:46:31 GMT

“I hate holidays like Thanksgiving … there’s so much food and all I do is eat too much,” complained one of my clients. Clearly, she was missing the point of the holiday! I encouraged her to put more focus on the PEOPLE and not the food. Yes, she would have the opportunity to enjoy a nice meal, but she could also enjoy the companionship of family and friends. By putting food on the bottom of the priority list, she might find that she could better enjoy the holiday.

If you are fretting about calories, remember that overeating on Thanksgiving is normal; it is not bad or wrong. Even “normal eaters” overeat, as do dieters and binge eaters. One extra-large meal will not ruin your life forever! And, if you pay attention to your hunger signals, you’ll discover the day after Thanksgiving you will not be very hungry; you will naturally choose to eat less (without enforcing a starvation diet).

I hope you have a nice holiday, find a few minutes to count your blessings (rather than count calories), and are able to be thankful for having a healthy body that allows you to enjoy an active lifestyle.

Nancy

Thanksgiving Recipe for Apple Crisp: Easier than pie!

guest — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:50:55 GMT

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many "cooking challenged" athletes are trying to figure out how to make an apple pie. Here is a simple alternative—Apple Crisp! The recipe is far easier than making a pie, and just as tasty. Enjoy it!

This recipe is one of 70 sports-food recipes in my Sports Nutrition Guidebook, Fourth Edition.

Apple Crisp

In this recipe, the small amount of spices allows for a nice apple flavor to shine through the “crisp.”

Leaving the peels on the apples not only addeds fiber and nutrients, but also a nice texture.

For a crisp topping, thoroughly work the margarine or butter into the flour, by pinching the the mixture to coat each flour granule.

6 cups sliced apples, preferably half Granny Smith, half MacIntosh

1/4 cup sugar (white offers the traditional pie taste)

1/2 cup flour

1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar, (half white, half packed brown sugar offers a pleasing balance)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3 to 4 tablespoons margarine or butter, cold from the refrigerator

Optional: 3/4 cup chopped almonds or pecans; 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Core, slice, and place the apples in an 8” x 8” baking pan. Sprinkle with the 1/4 cup sugar and mix together.

2. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon (and nutmeg and salt).

4. Add the cold margarine or butter, pinching it into the flour with your fingers until it looks like crumbly wet sand. Add nuts, as desired.

5. Distribute the topping evenly over the apples.

6. Bake for 40 minutes. If you want a crisper topping, turn the oven up to 400 degrees F. for the last five minutes.

Yield: 6 servings

Calories per serving: 260

Total calories: 1,560

50 grams Carbohydrate

1 gram Protein

6 grams Fat

Blog Posts From Active Expert: Nancy Clark RD CSSD Tagged With thanksgiving

Thanksgiving: Food for thought for dieters

Thanksgiving Recipe for Apple Crisp: Easier than pie!