This all-American holiday calls for a celebratory meal filled with special dishes and cooked with love. The meal may need to be timed strategically depending upon if you take insulin or a pill to lower your blood glucose. The good news is that many of the traditional Thanksgiving foods fit in perfectly with the meal plan of those who have diabetes as well as other family members.
Turkey is a great focal point, says Olha A. O'Quinn, Ph.D., a diabetes educator at Saint Vincent's Hospital in New York City. Sweet potatoes and pumpkin both are good sources of fiber and vitamin A, and cranberries, too, are rich in nutrients—at least until they're covered with sugar.
"If you love cranberries, try preparing them with a non-caloric sweetener like Splenda," suggests O'Quinn. "Avoid jellied sauce which is pure sugar."
In general, she says, use common sense when planning the menu. If you are serving salad, for instance, avoid very sweet dressings. And don't go crazy by loading up the sweet potatoes with brown sugar.
While there is no specific food that's ruled out for the holiday menu, it's still important to watch portion size, says Bonnie Juston, health services manager at the Barton Center for Diabetes Education in North Oxford. "Foods that are lower on the glycemic scale are best because they stabilize the blood sugar," she explains.
Well in advance of the big meal, have a snack, suggests O'Quinn, since this will help you avoid overeating later. If you're doing the cooking, have some appropriate snacks to nibble on as you work, focusing on munchies that won't sabotage your blood glucose levels before you even sit down at the table, recommends the American Diabetes Association. Good choices include raw or blanched vegetables with a low calorie dip.
Here are some other tips to keep in mind when planning the Thanksgiving feast:
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Turkey makes a great main course: it's low in fat and high in protein, according to the American Diabetes Association, and it's a good source of potassium, B vitamins, phosphorus, zinc and iron.
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Want a roasted-to-perfection bird? Use a shallow pan and a meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the inner thigh of the turkey and roast the bird in a preheated, 325-degree oven. When the temperature on the inner thigh reads 180 degrees and the juices run clear, your turkey's ready. Be sure your thermometer's not touching any bones, says the ADA.
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Be selective about what you eat. You don't have to sample everything on the table. If you love cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie the most, eat these but pass on the rolls and mashed potatoes, suggest the ADA. And choose either mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes.
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Get moving! The best way to make up for eating more than usual is to be physically active, says the ADA. Why not start a new tradition for the whole family—an after dinner walk, a Frisbee match, a soccer game, or a game of touch football with all the kids and grandkids?
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Consider timing. Before the actual holiday rolls around, plan in advance how you'll handle the changes since the Thanksgiving dinner may be served at an "off" time, says the ADA. Suppose you take insulin or a blood glucose lowering pill. You may need to eat a snack at your scheduled meal time in order to prevent a low blood glucose reaction, says the ADA. If you have any questions, check with your doctor well in advance of the holiday.
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Relax and have a wonderful holiday. With some careful advance planning, you can enjoy Thanksgiving AND manage your diabetes.
