So, what did YOUR Thanksgiving day meal look like?

I managed to put together a HUGE meal for about 750 calories. I even kept the percentages to a very respectable 30/20/50 ratio. Here are the detail:

Turkey Breast 4 oz ----- 120 cal

Homemade Gravy ----- 89 cal

Leek and Cornbread Stuffing ----- 113 cal

Parsnip Puree ----- 147 cal

Roasted Butternut Squash ----- 74 cal

Cranberry Sauce ----- 56 cal

Green Beans with Apple Cider ----- 50 cal

Pumpkin Flan ----- 100 cal

Total calories = 748

Fat: 29.8%

Protein: 19.2%

Carbs: 51%

Sodium: 964mg

Sugar: 44g

Cholesterol: 167mg

Sat. Fat: 7g

Fiber: 18g

All of the recipes came from Food Network. For the turkey I used a boneless all natural breast and I substituted Earth Balance whenever a recipe called for butter. I was absolutely amazed at how much food this amounted to. So amazed, in fact, that I plated up exact measured portions of everything and took a photo because I didn't think people would believe me.  I even had to use a serving plate to make it all fit!  Anyway, my point is, with a little planning, you can have an amazing meal that won't wreck your diet.

What a cute little plate of food! My plate was MOUNDED high to the clouds and was falling off my plate as I dug in... not exactly the prettiest thing in the world but boy was it good going down! ha ha! I have no idea how many calories I actually ate because I decided that yesterday was a no CC counting day (actually my whole week at home has been this way)... I also did not weigh myself today and don't plan on it for another week or so just to make sure everything gets back to normal! ha ha. I was certainly in pain & nauseous after an hour after the meal though! ha ha! And all I ate was BOAT LOADS of vegetables, about 7 beautiful slices of turkey breast and like 20 chestnuts! Vegetables do it to me for sure! 

I stayed UNDER my reccommended calorie intake for thanksgiving! go me! today, though, I unleashed on the leftovers. I always do that! Leftovers are harder to resist than anything for me.

I didn't eat much of our multi course mealbut it added up.  I didn't log it.

Before the meal - a few grapes and a small sliver of cheddar cheese
6 oz hot cider

First course - butternut squash soup, about 6 ounces
Second course - pasta, two homemade ravioli with sauce and a sprinkle of romano cheese
Third course - turkey with side dishes
     2 - 3 oz turkey, dark meat
     1 oz gravy
     1/4 cup mashed potatoes
     1/4 cup homemade stuffing
     1/4 cup corn pudding
     1 cup steamed green beans and carrots
Dessert - small slivers of two kinds of pie - ate three bites of each
Beverage - water

No bread, cranberry sauce or candied sweet potatoes, and no ice cream on the pie. 

dinner: -turkey (about five small-medium pieces of white and dark meat)

-1 buscuit, bowl of salad, steamed brocolli, asparagus, string beans, a small organic sweet potato, literally a tsp of cranbury sauce, a taste of stuffing and for dessert I had a piece of a pumpkin mousse cake I bought at Whole Food

Well, it weighed in at 1310 cals...not terrible for the sheer volume of it!

Here's the breakdown:

½ cup corn     80

Quorn     100

Pumpkin mashed potatoes     180

Green bean casserole     130

Maple cornbread stuffing     120

Left over stuffing veggies     50

Mushroom gravy     80

Sweet potato casserole     250

8 oz. moscato     200

“impossible” pumpkin pie with cool whip     120

And here's what it looked like:  yum!  Okay, so the gravy makes it look kind of gross...but trust me, it was heavenly!  Not pictured: wine, sweet potato casserole, and pie.

I actually didn't even get to the cranberry relish, bread, or salad, so I saved them for dinner ;)

I woke up with a terrible cold on Thanksgiving and couldn't taste anything! I also went to a family member's house that has no idea what 'vegan' means so.. lol. I made a yummy veg casserole but I think I came in under cals.

6oz cold shrimp

2 field green salads with beets, artichokes, green beans, fennel, gorgonzola and some pine nuts

carrots and mushrooms

Now the good stuff

Pumpkin custard, creme brulee creme puff, choc PB cake, coconut cream cake, raspberry tart, blackberry tart, rum cookie and a pumpkin bread loaf (All were mini desserts but it was still a dessert heaven and I loved it!)

My first Thanksgiving E.D.-free.  I enjoyed everything but kept reasonable portions, and went for a nice walk afterward.  My mom is the best cook ever :)

A tiny bit of roasted chicken (never cared too much for this)
1/2 cup white rice with a little butter
Asparagus and green pea casserole
Squash casserole
Large portion of stuffing, my favorite
Congealed cranberry salad
2 small dinner rolls with butter
Smashed rutabagas and turnips
Sweet potato casserole with pecans on top (to die for)

And afterwards, a small slice of pumpkin pie and a small slice of chocolate chess pie.  (The chocolate chess pie was indescribable beyond words.)