Thanksgiving Tips For a Diabetes-Friendly Holiday

Thanksgiving is a wonderful day to be thankful and spend some quality time with your loved ones. It can also be a pretty challenging day for someone with diabetes, as many of the traditional dishes such as cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mashed potatoes are rich in calories and carbohydrates. But don’t worry, if you or any of your loved ones have diabetes there are plenty of ways you can join in the feast, too!

Whether you are the host or you’re heading to a family member’s or friend’s dinner, keep these tips in mind to keep blood sugar under control this Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season. You can give a massage to your elders, it will help them to relax. Visit us and get a Perfect London Massage now.

Planning Before Eating 

Decide in advance what you’re going to eat. Most traditional Thanksgiving dishes are carbohydrate-heavy and people with diabetes should plan ahead what they’re eating to make sure their insulin levels remain steady. 

When attending a loved one’s dinner, offer to bring a dish that fits your requirements. This way you’ll be contributing to the gathering while making sure there will be something low in sugar that you can eat. Roasted carrots, green beans, and even whole-wheat veggie-filled stuffing could be great options. 

If you’re the host, make sure you include some low-carb and low-calorie options in the menu and try reducing added fats and sugars. Instead of a canned cranberry sauce, opt for a cranberry compote sweetened with stevia and try to avoid fried food by making baking substitutions.

Be Aware of Carbs

A typical Thanksgiving dinner features lots of choices. Low-carb and high-protein foods will be the best options for a person with diabetes. Notice the amount of sugar each option contains and limit your intake of the ones with added sugar. 

Carbs that come from plant-based sources such as sweet potatoes or quinoa are a great option that will also add some fiber to your meal. Try to limit the portion of stuffing or mashed potatoes you indulge in or avoid them altogether. 

Focus on Vegetables

Try to stick with non-starchy vegetables such as green beans, fresh spinach, broccoli, or carrots. Keep in mind that starchy vegetables such as pumpkin and butternut squash should be included in your total carbohydrate intake. If you have any, make it a smaller portion and include more greens. Just because you can’t eat a mound of stuffing doesn’t mean you will end up being hungry! Who can resist a salad based on Brussels sprouts?

Check Your Portions 

Monitoring portion size is key to keeping your blood sugar levels balanced during these holidays! 

Learning how to eyeball serving sizes to stick with your calorie and carb limits is a great trick, but exact measurements help to ensure that you’re taking the right amount of insulin. Feel free to pack your measuring cups if you’re attending a gathering. This way you will make sure you’re adhering to the right serving sizes. And who knows, it may open up a discussion at the dinner table, which may help others to learn more about diabetes.  

Call Us

An In-home Referral Service could be a great help in making sure you or your loved ones stick to dietary plans recommended by a doctor. We offer many referral services, including Certified Nursing Assistance that can be an ideal solution to help with insulin treatment plans. A nursing companion can also share in some fun activities such as doing puzzles, crosswords, watching TV, or even going for a walk.