5 Tips to Make Your Thanksgiving More MAHA Friendly

The Trump administration has worked for months to Make America Healthy Again through nutrition and medical policy reforms. But ultimately, the buck for Americans’ health stops with the American consumer.

Thankfully, preparing homemade, nourishing meals from fresh, whole food ingredients is something everyone can attempt, and there’s no better time to kick off healthier habits than the holidays.

Here are five tips to make your Thanksgiving Day feast just a little bit more MAHA.

1. Swap out high sugar and processed meal offerings for homemade ones. Keep your sides simple—think maple roasted brussels sprouts with pecans, hazelnuts, or bacon, a sweet potato casserole (minus the marshmallows!), or a green bean salad—as opposed to the casserole with canned cream of mushroom soup. Food with simple, real ingredients is just as flavorful, and it’s far more nutritious. Go heavier on the veggie sides and lighter on the bread and crackers. Also, while I know that canned jelly cranberry stuff is popular, there really is nothing like homemade cranberry sauce. It’s simple and has less sugar and unknown ingredients!

2. Eat earlier in the day. If you’re like my family, mealtime is supposed to be at 5pm and somehow, the turkey doesn’t hit the table until 7pm. That’s way too late to be eating a large meal. Aim to eat no later than 3pm so your body has plenty of time to digest. There’s no rush to eat dessert either. Wait 2-3 hours before indulging in the pies… maybe after a game of touch football or a walk.

3. Get in some exercise! I like to wake up and do a morning workout before the day’s festivities. I also aim for a brisk walk sometime post-meal so I don’t go to bed feeling like an Oompa-Loompa.

4. If you want to go full Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., you can fry your turkey in beef tallow. This looks delicious, but if you are like me, you may not be properly set up for that event! Safety first when it comes to the deep fryer.

5. And finally, remember it’s called Thanksgiving, not Gorgegiving. Ponder the reason for the season. We can be grateful for the abundance this country provides without over-stuffing our bellies. In most religious traditions, a feast follows a fasting period. It is meant as a celebration after enduring the struggles of hunger. Consider paring down meals the days leading up to Thanksgiving, not as a punishment, but to give thanks and remember the more important, permanent things in life—family, friends, fellowship, and the many ways in which we are blessed.

From all of us at the Restoring American Wellness initiative at The Heritage Foundation—Happy Healthy Thanksgiving!

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