Let’s have some fun.

With the holidays coming up we need some pointers on what to eat for Thanksgiving. Diabetes Thanksgiving dinner preparation is where we’ll start. Now before we dive into what foods we should eat, let’s look at something to avoid. Then we can go for the good stuff(ing), get it :), So here are things you shouldn’t be eating during the Thanksgiving holiday. This way when we switch to the good stuff(ing), couldn’t help myself, we’ll end up on a positive note.

Here are ten things you shouldn’t be eating during the Thanksgiving holiday

Number one, sugar! Stay away from all those candies. You can have sugarplums dancing in your dreams, but not on your plate, in the candy dish next to you, in your hand, etc. Let old uncle Al eat it, he can eat anything.

Number two, well if you’re going to avoid the candy dish best to avoid the sweeter sugary drinks. They are loaded with high fructose corn syrup.

Number three, trans fats, may be listed as partially hydrogenated oil, these don’t directly raise your blood sugar, but they do increase your risk for heart disease. Heart disease is a compilation of type 2 diabetes. So if you’re adding to the reasons to develop heart disease by eating trans fats.

Number four, white bread, pasta, and rice. for me, this is a challenge. I love all those types of bread. I don’t think there’s a roll I haven’t liked. The thing here is the processed flour used to make the bread. Most of the fiber is removed in the processing of the flour. Fiber helps to slow the absorption of sugar into your blood.

Number five is fruit-flavored yogurt, I’m not a yogurt fan. If you are, then stick with plain, whole-milk yogurt that has no sugar. Do you see a trend here, sugar? Also processed foods. When we process the food we lose the fiber and add sugar. No wonder we are dealing with a type 2 diabetic epidemic.

Number six, sweetened breakfast kinds of cereal. First, these are processed, very processed, so there are lots of carbs. sweetened should also give you a cure the what’s in them, yep more sugar. Stay away from sugar.

Number seven, flavored coffee drinks. we can very easily point back to number five. The same rule of thumb applies, stick with plain old coffee. It’s the flavoring is that makes it bad.

Pushing on to number eight. this is sort of a surprise. Avoid honey, agave nectar, and maple syrup. These aren’t highly processed, but nature gave them a lot of carbs naturally, bummer.

Number nine, dried fruit. You would think fruit should be good for you. Why is dried fruit on the avoid list? When dried, you remove the water and concentrate the nutrients. This means the sugars are also concentrated. You can’t win, can you?

Number ten, packaged snack foods. I love potato chips. We have a local brand to die for. All of these types of snacks are made with refined flour and very little in nutrients. They may taste good but really aren’t good for you. You would do better staying with nuts or some low-carb veggies.

Now let’s get to the good things to eat for Thanksgiving

The good news is turkey is great to eat.

Turkey breast is an excellent source of lean protein and has a very low glycemic index, making it a great choice for those watching their carbohydrate intake. Turkey breast is also a good source of selenium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. Turkey meat is an excellent source of protein that is low in calories, containing only 0.06 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. The high levels of niacin and selenium found in turkey meat may help to regulate blood sugar levels.

One challenge to eating turkey is you shouldn’t eat the skin. Stick with the lean meat without the skin. Well, suppose a little bit of skin is OK. Just be sure to chew it slowly and enjoy each crunch of the skin. Maybe even close your eyes as you taste the juices and flavor. Whew, I’m going to have to take a cold shower just thinking about it.

Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of fiber and nutrients. Just one cup of cooked Brussels sprouts provides 137% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin K, 81% of vitamin C, and 12% of vitamin A and folate. As a bonus, Brussels spouts only have 28 calories each.

Be sure to add some roasted veggies to your Thanksgiving meal. Here’s a list of good veggies to roast for Thanksgiving dinner; roasted potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, and asparagus all make great, healthy Thanksgiving sides. You can have fresh cranberries, normally cranberries have a lot of sugar. For Thanksgiving, you can add a little sugar, but add apples to help manage the GI, orange zest, and a splash of orange juice, and throw in some toasted pecans or walnuts. Got to love those walnuts.

Everyone loves mashed potatoes, however, potatoes aren’t a good choice. You may have heard of mock mashed potatoes. Instead of potatoes, you use cauliflower. You can also use many other veggies to make mock mashed potatoes. Here are some other choices: parsnips, turnips, butternut squash, mashed carrots, mashed rutabaga, mashed celery root, mashed acorn squash, mashed Brussels sprouts, and mashed sweet potato. Even though it’s a potato, it’s a lot better choice. It has much more fiber.

The end is near

This isn’t a complete list of foods. It covers many of the more common food we may have heard of. Feel free to share some of your favorite foods and recipes for your diabetes Thanksgiving dinner preparation.

One important thing to remember is you are not the one that has to eat everything left over. You know your condition and eat accordingly. One last thought. Foods, with high protein, will help satisfy your hunger. If you’re going to fill up on anything look to an extra portion of turnkey, of course, without the skin.

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Read more: Healthline