Hi there!

The Holidays are fast approaching which means the temptations of holiday favorite foods begin. Today, we wanted to provide you with some tips to avoid that holiday weight gain this year. You can still enjoy those favorites that you have been looking forward to but remember to keep ”moderation” in mind. Below are 10 tips to avoid weight gain during the holidays. Good luck!

1. Eat before the party. Grab a 100- to 200- calorie snack containing carbohydrates, protein, and a little bit of fat – a low-fat yogurt with fruit slices, say, or a banana smeared with peanut butter. This will take the edge off your hunger so you won’t be as likely to grab everything that smells and looks good.

2. Have one truly sinful treat. You can indulge and maintain your weight if you stick with a small portion of fudge, eggnog, pigs-in-a-blanket, etc. Pick something that’s really worth the calories. Try and stick with nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods the rest of the night.

3. Account for what you eat. Keeping a food diary is the single best way to keep the pounds off.

4. Stop tasting the cake batter and cookie dough! Those little tastings can cost you 300 calories a pop.

5. Ban the pretty dishes or cookies from your counter. I know it’s the holidays and they look so festive, but bring them out only for dessert.

6. Avoid getting tipsy. Besides the calories in those glasses of bubbly, alcohol lowers your inhibitions. Then you’re more likely to throw caution to the wind.

7. Do stay active, but don’t use it as an excuse to eat double portions. The “I ran an extra mile so I can have an extra piece of pie” reasoning often results in added weight gain. That’s because most of us overestimate how many calories we burn and underestimate how many we consume.

8. Don’t beat yourself up over one overindulgence. It’s nearly impossible  to put on a substantial amount of weight from, say, the turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

9. Don’t skip meals. Eating every four hours throughout the day will keep your metabolism revved up. Contrary to what you might think, skipping meals doesn’t save you calories over the long haul because by the time you sit down to eat, you’re ravenous, which makes binging hard to avoid. What’s worse, your body, in starvation mode, may more readily stock away the calories you consume as fat instead of burning them.

10. Gab and gab some more. Focusing on socializing with family and friends will help keep you away from the buffet table. While food is certainly a great sideshow during this time of year, the main event should be celebrating relationships.

Reference: www.usnews.com

We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Apple-Shallot Roasted Turkey

Roasting the herb-rubbed turkey with apples and shallots is the secret to flavorful meat. Extra shallots in the roasting pan give the gravy a rich, carmelized shallot flavor.

12 servings, 3 ounces each, plus plenty of leftovers

Active Time: 45 minutes     Total Time: 3 1/2 hours

Ingredients

• 1 10- to 12-pound turkey
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus 3 sprigs
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus 3 sprigs
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 3 sprigs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise, divided
• 1 tart green apple, quartered
• 3 cups water, plus more as needed

Preparation

1. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 475°F.
2. Remove giblets and neck from turkey cavities and reserve for making Turkey Giblet Stock. Place the turkey, breast-side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan; pat dry with paper towels.
3. Combine oil, chopped parsley, sage, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the herb mixture all over the turkey, under the skin and onto the breast meat. Place herb sprigs, 6 shallot halves and apple in the cavity. Tuck the wing tips under the turkey. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Add 3 cups water to the pan.
4. Roast the turkey until the skin is golden brown, 45 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven. If using a remote digital thermometer, insert it into the deepest part of the thigh, close to the joint. Cover just the breast with a double layer of foil, cutting as necessary to fit. Scatter the remaining shallots in the pan around the turkey. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and continue roasting until the thermometer (or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone) registers 165°F, 1 to 1 3/4 hours more. If the pan dries out, tilt the turkey to let juices run out of the cavity into the pan and add 1 cup water.
5. Transfer the turkey to a serving platter (reserve pan juices and shallots) and tent with foil. Let the turkey rest for 20 minutes. Remove the string and carve.

Nutrition

Per serving: 155 Calories; 5 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 63 mg Cholesterol; 25 g Protein; 0 g Fiber; 115 mg Sodium; 258 mg Potassium

Exchanges: 3 1/2 very lean meat