Yesterday, my son told me about a child in his third grade class who “loves vegetables.” When the teachers rewarded the children with Starbursts after completing a writing assignment (hmn), this little girl turned the candy down. My son reported all of this completely flabbergasted. I wouldn’t necessarily have turned down starbursts at 8 years old but I would now. When I think about our family Thanksgiving tomorrow, I will do the adult version of snubbing the starburst. On Monday, I provided you with my top turkey day tips that I wholeheartedly endorse However, when I got to thinking about my personal plan and plate for Thanksgiving it didn’t require special rules.

You might say, “you’re a nutritionist of course you eat well.” The truth is I do not. Always. Often times when I travel, I like to sample the local fare, tastes I feel I haven’t come across and may never again. The same thing happens on restaurant menus when something peaks my interest. For me, and no offense meant to what I’m sure will be a delicious spread at my sister’s home, Thanksgiving foods are mostly things I have had before. Cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and pie are available almost every day.

I fully comprehend the holiday mindset. It’s a holiday, happens once a year and our healthy rules should bend a little. What I am suggesting is that the flexibility works for some but no need to flex if you don’t want to.  My Thanksgiving meal will go something like this. My sister has vegetables, dip and cheeses out when we arrive. I will have some crudité and a glass of wine. My mother will make soup as a first course; I’ll have some. For dinner I’ll have turkey (maybe dark meat, love it), the Brussels sprouts and chestnuts and edamame succotash I am cooking, some sweet potatoes and this cosmopolitan cranberry sauce (with triple sec) my sister is serving. To me, this meal sounds unbelievably delicious. I would choose these items over pumpkin pie and also starbursts any day.