Top 5 Tips for Post-Thanksgiving Eating

Thanksgiving is over and yet the food still remains. If you’re like the majority of American families celebrating this holiday, you’ve got leftovers galore. You’re looking at turkey sandwiches for the next week and pumpkin pie for dessert. Date-wise, the holiday has passed, but, according to your fridge, Thanksgiving isn’t over quite yet. How do you escape gorging yourself on leftovers?

1. Give it away. If you’ve still got whole pies leftover, there’s a chance that a local soup kitchen may be able to hand it out during meal time.
2. Freeze it. A lot of that food, if frozen, can be used gradually over time. I’m not saying keep it until next Thanksgiving, but spread the feast out across the year. It will help you to feel less overwhelmed by how much food there is and will help you consume less calories overall.
3. Compost it. If it’s a pie or something that you really don’t want to be eating, but that’s tempting you nonetheless, put it into a mulch pile. Turn it into something you can use for your garden, whether it’s made up of flowers, fruits, or vegetables. This is a great way to give back to the earth while simultaneously ending your temptation.
4. Avoid post-holiday sales. A lot of the food that you just spent the day eating is now on sale at the grocery stores. Trust me, these are not items that you want to pick up on sale. It may seem like a “good idea” to stock up for next year; however, most of those foods won’t last until then, which means you’ll be having yourself a Thanksgiving in May.
5. Re-invent it. Take your pumpkin pie and mix it in with your morning oatmeal. Not a whole slice, just a bit to flavor it. Make the turkey into a chili, even the dark meat. That way you’re eating less of the fatty meat in one meal, but you still get to savor the flavor in a veggie-laden chili.

Do you have a favorite way to dispose of your turkey day leftovers? Do you have a mouth-watering recipe for re-purposing the dinner? Let’s hear it! Share your thoughts in the comment section below.