How to gobble healthy for Thanksgiving

BROWNSVILLE – With Thanksgiving around the corner, healthier options are available for those looking to find alternatives.

KVAQ-TV spoke with Lisa Salinas, UTRGV clinical assistant professor from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, who broke down traditional Thanksgiving meals and shared ways in which individuals can make it nutritious.

“We obviously have turkey and there are different parts of the turkey that have different health benefits and have different amounts of calories, different amounts of fat,” Salinas said. “So, the breast meat and things like that are going to be lower in calories.” … “They’re going to be lower in fat but if you are somebody who prefers the taste of what we call the dark meat, which is typically from, the drumstick or areas of the bird like that, those tend to be a little bit higher in calories and higher in fat.”

Salinas said she recommends individuals to eat the skin of the potatoes as they’re high in fiber, but she warned, adding additional seasonings to the potatoes could make it unhealthy but if it isn’t consumed every day, you can consider it a treat.

“Just be aware that when you do add those extra components, also things like salt, that you do want to just be aware that those are going to be higher in calories,” she said. “So, to think about that, and that’s in regards to either the mashed potato, the regular potato or a sweet potato, sweet potato is going to have a little bit of an extra boost in terms of nutrition, but both provide a really nice amount of potassium.”

Salinas said pumpkin pie is a well-known treat that has a good source of vitamin A. However, she wouldn’t recommend individuals eat pumpkin pie as a source of nutrition as fresh fruit or vegetables are a better alternative.

In order to avoid overconsumption, Salinas recommends having a small meal throughout the day or serving your Thanksgiving dish in small portions.

Having a walk before dessert is a great way to lower your metabolism and enjoy time with your family and friends.

Ramon Cortez, a Criminal Justice freshman, said he will spend his post-Thanksgiving going to the gym and focusing on school.

“My plans are to exercise after thanksgiving more than anything and focus more [on] school,” Cortez said.

Salinas said salt intake during the Thanksgiving meal is high so to prevent your body from dehydration you should hydrate with water before and after your meal but also increase your physical activity after the holiday.