Holiday meals like Thanksgiving can be tricky for people trying to lose weight or follow a restricted diet for health reasons. There are smart ways to eat and navigate the holiday spread that will still allow you to enjoy the party and not feel deprived, experts say.
The typical Thanksgiving meal is a daunting task for a dieter. The average person will consume 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat during just the meal and snacks beforehand, the Calorie Control Council said. That is more than double the recommended average calorie intake for women and nearly twice that for men. It is more than 10 times the recommended daily saturated fat intake, according to the federal Office of Disease Prevention and Healthy Promotion.
A Gallup poll in late 2024 found that more than one in four — 27 percent — were trying to lose weight, with more women than men at 32 percent versus 23 percent. But more than half of all Americans want to lose weight, and recent efforts by the Trump administration to make GLP-1 drugs cheaper and more widely available next year should have an impact.
But there is still a struggle ahead for those seeking weight loss to get through the treat-laden holiday season. Experts are here to help.
A Meal Is Not An Ending
The most important thing to remember is Thanksgiving, or any other holiday meal, does not ruin all your progress, said Dr. John Cleek, an internal medicine physician with Novant Health in Mount Pleasant who specializes in obesity medicine.
“One of the things that I like patients to know is that one meal isn’t going to sabotage your efforts of the last month or two months or six months, so it’s OK to have a sample of everything,” he said. “I didn’t say plates full of everything, but it’s OK to sample all of the foods you love and not feel so deprived. If you’re depriving yourself, you’re not likely to be sticking with something long-term, so that deprivation is not a great strategy for long-term success.”
Other people may have restricted diets due to health reasons. Some patients need to avoid having too much salt because of heart failure or kidney disease, while others may need to watch their sugar intake because of diabetes, so the holidays “can be challenging,” said Kathryn Adel, an adult outpatient dietitian with Medical University of South Carolina.
It can be tricky with travel, with people bringing in holiday treats and other temptations, so “they just have to keep eating mindfully and not fall off of their habits,” she said.
As best they can, it is important for those patients to keep to their regular routine and eat those meals at home if possible, where they have more control over what they consume. Skipping a meal in anticipation of a big holiday meal later that day is a bad idea, Adel said. Instead, stick to the regular schedule and perhaps even eat a healthy snack at home before heading out.
“So then they are not starving when they get to the meal at their friend’s house, or when they go out, and they can eat a smaller portion,” she said. “That in itself will reduce their sodium intake, or whatever they’re trying to limit.”
The Sweet Potato Mirage
Portion control is key for holiday buffets and meals, experts said. But there are also certain foods that can be deceiving, like the sweet potato casserole, Cleek said. Many people believe sweet potatoes are better for them than white potatoes, but it doesn’t really make a difference in terms of calories and weight loss. That better-for-you perception, though, sometimes like the “health halo effect,” may lead people to believe they can eat more of it.
“Just because it’s a sweet potato” doesn’t mean it’s OK in a larger serving for yourself, Cleek said. The root vegetable is often served in a casserole, covered with nuts, which can pack on the calories quickly, he said. Casseroles in general are problematic. His family used to serve a squash casserole “and I swear it had more cheese than squash in it,” Cleek said, laughing.
Making sure to include healthy fruits and vegetables in a diet, in and around the holiday meals, can help patients stay on track, Adel said. It also helps to create an alternative if you’re going elsewhere for a holiday meal.
“If you’re able to, you can bring a healthier dish that you know you can eat, that will fit your needs, so at least you will have something you can eat that you know will be nutritious,” she said.
Liquid Diet
With so much focus on what they are eating, many may forget that what they are drinking counts as well. Sports drinks, particularly those that promise to boost hydration, “are very trendy right now and are obviously very high in sodium,” Adel said. “People don’t necessarily realize that.”
In addition to that, many drinks also contain a lot of sugar and calories, which add up, she said. Then there is alcohol and its calorie load. One 12-ounce can or bottle of beer has an average of 153 calories, and a 5-ounce glass of white wine has an average of 121 calories, according to CalorieKing.
Those drinks can have a multiplier effect, Cleek said.
“You want to make sure you’re aware of alcohol intake, because not only is it calories that can sneak up on you, but as you get alcohol in, it reduces your inhibitions to eating, so you tend to eat much more after a couple of alcoholic beverages,” he said.
That kind of mindless eating in general is a problem, Adel said, so it is best at a party not to hang out in the room where the food is located. People can talk and busy themselves and “eat a whole bowlful of chips and not even realize we ate it,” she said.
Portion control is a key in any setting, both Cleek and Adel said. Pick a plate, but stick to what you put on it and don’t go overboard, they said.
The point of holidays is to enjoy yourselves, so if weight loss seems too daunting during that time, try and focus on maintaining weight, Adel said. And think positively. Rather than focusing on limiting the good food and drink, try to think more about adding healthful things, such as fruits and vegetables, and maybe exercise more.