ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – According to the Calorie Control Council, a typical Thanksgiving meal will be 3,000 calories, which is 500 to 1,000 calories over what a woman and man should consume in a day. People may try to go healthy by purchasing gluten-free rolls, brown eggs, and white meat this holiday, but is that really the better option? Or just some made-up marketing claim? We have the answers to these common Thanksgiving food myths.
Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, rolls, cranberry sauce … just thinking about it makes your mouth water, but do you know the truth about the feast you’re about to put on your plate?
First myth … is white meat really healthier than dark meat? There’s barely a difference in calories, and dark meat actually holds more vitamins B6 and 12, zinc, and iron. So, dig into any part of that turkey! Are all eggs created equal? Nutritionally, yes! The color difference comes from the different breeds of chickens.
But both have similar amounts of vitamins, minerals, and protein. So, use whatever you want for your dressing … or stuffing! Leftovers, anyone? The last myth is that you shouldn’t eat after a certain time because it leads to weight gain. But calories can’t tell time, and as long as you’re within your daily caloric intake, you’ll be okay. So, go ahead! Dig in! You can always exercise a little more tomorrow.
Another myth—overeating on Thanksgiving will make you gain weight. In reality, it takes 3,500 extra calories to gain one pound, so a splurge once a month isn’t likely to stall your weight loss. In fact, one day is never enough to make you gain weight. It takes multiple days of excess calories to increase your body fat to the point of gaining a pound. That is the same reason why you cannot drop a pound every single day.
Sources:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/62400/8-food-myths-youve-been-believing
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-many-calories-per-day#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/20/health/nutrition/20real.html?auth=login-email&login=email
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/white-vs-brown-eggs
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/eating-at-night
Contributor(s) to this news report include: Addlyn Teague, Producer; Bob Walko, Videographer and Editor.
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