Healthy Thanksgiving Swaps
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The holidays are a time for joy, connection, and let’s be honest… food. From mashed potatoes and stuffing to cookies and pie, the season is packed with delicious food that can make maintaining balanced blood sugar a challenge. But here’s the good news: enjoying your favorite holiday meals doesn’t have to mean energy crashes, cravings, or guilt.
With a few simple swaps (and a can or two of GOOD IDEA) you can support steady energy, stable blood sugar, and still savor all the flavors you love.
Let’s get straight to the holiday swaps…
1. Start with Fiber and Protein, Not the Bread Basket
Instead of reaching for the bread before dinner, start your meal with a salad or fiber-rich veggies. Fiber helps slow glucose absorption, reducing blood sugar spikes after your meal. Beginning with greens or protein also promotes fullness, helping you enjoy your meal without overeating. This is such a simple adjustment that can pay huge dividends on your post-meal blood sugar. Be sure to keep this tip in mind as it applies year-round.
2. Choose Smart Comfort Foods & Prep Ahead
Mashed potatoes are a holiday favorite, but they are tough on your blood sugar. Swap them for mashed cauliflower, roasted sweet potatoes, or a lighter version made with Greek yogurt. This helps to include extra fiber, fewer refined carbs, and still deliver that cozy holiday comfort.
A super easy way to save time and help blood sugar control is to prep your starches ahead of time. Starches like potatoes and pasta can send your blood sugar soaring. However, when we take these same foods and refrigerate them after cooking, the molecules reassemble and become a resistant starch (which is a starch that acts more like a fiber). In this way, you can have the same pasta or potatoes that you love, but without the huge glucose spike.
Here's the quick "how-to" for resistant starches:
- Make your usual potatoes or starchy dish
- Put them in a container and stick them in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat those same potatoes tomorrow, and you have made yourself a healthier version of the same dish.
3. Don’t Skip Dessert, Balance It
You don’t have to skip dessert to support metabolic health. The key is balance and portion control. Pairing sweets with protein or healthy fat (like nuts, yogurt, or a GOOD IDEA) slows glucose absorption and prevents rapid spikes. Keeping desserts to one serving can also help to satisfy a sweet tooth without overindulging.
4. Rethink Sugary Drinks
Holiday cocktails and sodas are fun, but they can quickly add hidden sugars. Try sparkling water with citrus slices, or enjoy GOOD IDEA over ice with fresh herbs for a functional twist. GOOD IDEA’s amino acid and chromium picolinate are clinically shown to help reduce post-meal blood sugar by an average of 25% y while boosting GLP-1 naturally.
5. Take a Walk After Dinner
The post-meal slump is real, especially after a big Thanksgiving dinner. Take a short 10-minute walk, throw a football with a family member, or take the dog for a walk. Even light movement helps your muscles absorb glucose from your blood, improving insulin sensitivity and reducing fatigue.
6. Swap Heavy Dips for Protein-Rich Ones
Trade sour cream or mayo-based dips for Greek yogurt or avocado blends. These swaps add protein and healthy fats that keep you full longer and help regulate blood sugar levels naturally.
7. Eat Before the Feast
Skipping meals to “save up” for dinner often backfires, leading to blood sugar crashes and overeating. Plus, no one wants to be “hangry” around family and friends. A balanced breakfast or lunch (with protein, fiber, and healthy fat) stabilizes blood sugar and prevents that ravenous hunger at dinnertime.
8. GOOD IDEA
Enjoy every bite and support your blood sugar just by drinking GOOD IDEA with your meals. Drink 1/3 of a can before your meal and finish the can with your food. Backed by multiple scientific studies, GOOD IDEA has been shown to reduce post-meal blood sugar by an average of 25%, while supporting natural GLP-1 production for steadier energy and fewer cravings. GOOD IDEA helps to make healthy choices feel effortless, especially during the holidays.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Author: Dr. Colleen Gulick, Ph.D. (ExPhys), MS (ExPhys), BS (BioE), EIT (ME), CSCS