Humpday Health: Meal prepping for the holidays

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away and it’s hard to say no to that family feast.

“We wait all year long for this meal to come at Thanksgiving and so we all crave the turkey, the pumpkin pie and all that, but what we need to do is keep it in check,” said health expert Evonne Varady.

She said it’s ok to let your diet slide a little bit for the holiday.

“I don’t normally say this but we’re going to give you permission to have a cheat meal,” said Varady.

But in order to indulge, you need to prepare responsible in the days leading up to the holiday.

“We need to get to the gym the rest of that week. I know that the holidays are going to start on Thursday so we gotta make sure that we’re there Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. And we have to eat healthy up until that point,” said Varady.

She said a great way to keep up a healthy diet is through meal prepping.

“Meal prep at this time of year is most important because we are on the go, we are wrapping presents, we’re shopping, and what is the most convenient thing to do? Drive thru,” Varady said.

Varady said when you meal prep, you can control things like carbs, calories, and most importantly portion control.

“There’s a couple different ways you can do the meal prep,” Varady said. She said you can get a whole weeks worth of meals ready on a Sunday or do smaller batches and prepare on Sunday and Wednesday for example.

And as the holidays get closer just be aware of what you’re putting in your body.

“The average cook, Thanksgiving cook that prepares Thanksgiving, they take in about 3,500 calories before they even sit down to fix a plate for themselves,” said Varady.

So think before you eat and you can make it through the holidays without packing on some serious pounds.