Enjoying Thanksgiving anti-diet style

I’m getting really excited about Thanksgiving. What about you? Even though I know that I can make turkey, stuffing, and green bean casserole all year long - for some reason, I don’t. Maybe it’s because getting excited about the food on the table makes a holiday so much better for me.

Many times, though, the food on the table is exactly what causes anxiety and stress around holidays. Hosting a Thanksgiving gathering is not for the faint of heart. Planning, shopping, prepping, and cooking, whether for 4 or 14, is a huge physical and mental load!

With so many people following fad diets, chances that at least one of your guests (or kids) will have some sort of dietary “restriction” are pretty high. If you are in search of recipes to appease all of your finicky friends and family, I got you! My dietitian colleague over at Something Nutritious has tons of delicious recipes for all of your dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian table mates.

Whether all of the guests at your table actually need those dietary modifications is doubtful but a host has to do what a host has to do. Know this though, the people that don’t actually need dietary modifications are usually the ones that like to talk about their dietary modifications A LOT. They also like to convince others to join their club.

You can opt out of diet and body talk at the table, and as a body positive dietitian and mom, I highly recommend that you do. If we really want our kids to take care of their bodies, we have to help them maintain an un-conflicted relationship with food.

It’s a slippery slope when kids think that eating in a certain way can change the appearance of their body. Because a lot of kids are already at high risk for disordered eating and body image issues, even “healthy eating” talk that’s not about weight loss isn’t a good idea.

A simple reply to diet or body talk could sound like, “I’m choosing to focus on gratitude and not depriving myself.” or if you feel comfortable, “Talk about dieting or bodies can be really harmful, mind if we talk about something else?” Take a look at the table below, for more ideas.

Sometimes hearing talking points or scripts out loud helps. If that’s you, this podcast from fellow dietitians, Rachel Goodman and Kirsten Ackerman, will be time well spent when you have a few quiet minutes.

Here’s to a happy and diet-free Thanksgiving! If a more personalized approach seems helpful, you can book a free call with me. Let’s chat and figure out a plan to meet your goals.