The magnificent spread of Thanksgiving food dishes we recently shared with our family, friends, and loved ones displays an image of food akin to a celebration one might see at a royal wedding. Mashed potatoes are laced with butter, heavy whipping cream, and sour cream, and for those of us who want to apply more decadence, grated parmesan cheese might find its way in as well. Stuffing made out of cornbread, a stick of butter, and a few cups of milk serve as another trusty sidekick to the masterfully prepared roasted turkey. Why not throw a few Hawaiian sweet rolls on the plate to soak up the leftover gravy?
The Thanksgiving feast we share with the people we care about once a year unveils a quantity of food we usually don’t see in the other parts of the year. Following the festivities of consuming copious amounts of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and topping the night off with pumpkin pie produces a body filled with so much food we pretty much have to roll into our cars to drive home, and eventually roll into our beds like a slow-moving ball rolling down a hill. Additionally, something extra finds its way into our fridges. A few containers holding the contents of the Thanksgiving feast make their way home with us to be enjoyed throughout the next few days. Enter the world of Thanksgiving leftovers.
The art of marinating food items is a skillful technique to impart more flavor to our meats and other food items. For example, soaking a cut of Tritip in a mixture of soy sauce, brown sugar, rosemary, crushed garlic, diced shallots, and Worchester sauce for twenty-four hours produces a tender and delicious product. The same process of imparting the flavor present in our Thanksgiving leftovers occurs as the brined roasted turkey, butter and garlic mashed potatoes, and sage sausage-infused cornbread stuffing in the Tupperware container we took home from our feast melds together in a majestic harmony of tantalizing flavor. Who wouldn’t want leftovers throughout the week following their long-awaited Thanksgiving celebration?
The issue with the abundance of leftovers present in our fridge that radiates the essence of flavors like no other time of year is that there is so much food. Usually, when humans see food in their fridge, they eat what’s in front of them. This urge to consume food is how we survive. When there’s healthy food in our fridge, we’re in a pretty good place. A consistent diet of healthy vegetables, lean proteins, and a controlled amount of fats leads to a body that operates efficiently, performs optimally, and fends off disease. However, a diet consisting of a surplus amount of carbohydrates and heavy fats produces a sluggish, hard-to-move body influencing sedentary behavior. Therefore, it’s noteworthy to see the potential threats of consuming too many leftovers on a consistent basis following Thanksgiving.
A tactic to mitigate the effects of overconsumption of leftovers is being aware of portion size. Acquiring a twelve by twelve-inch plate and stacking it full of a pile of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and turkey influences overconsumption of a surplus number of calories. Eating too many calories in one sitting has an increased potential to be stored as fat if those calories are not used as energy. Therefore, to manage the threat of overeating when it’s Thanksgiving’s leftover season, perhaps we should be focusing on our portion size when visiting the fridge for some day-old holiday treats that have marinated in a harmonious symphony of holiday flavor.
To help with portion control, choose smaller bowl and plate sizes. Enjoy these delicious holiday foods that only meet our tastebuds once per year but enjoy them in a controlled fashion. Additionally, identify how many items are on your plate. Aiming to fit no more than a handful amount of each food item on your plate is an effective tactic to mitigate the effects of overconsumption. For example, try to place no more than a handful amount of turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes in your leftover meal at one time.
It’s important to appreciate the celebration of food. Cultural holidays such as Thanksgiving bring about a sense of joy and appreciation among our friends, family, and loved ones. So, we should cherish these sacred times and special occasions. Let’s not go overboard with filling our stomachs to the brim of rupture. Enjoy holiday food with skillful dietary decision-making to help us stay happy and healthy throughout the holiday season.
Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.
