Written By: Nicole Pazdziorko, RDN, LDN

The holiday season is here and Thanksgiving is one of the most food-centric days of the year. From tried-and-true family favorite recipes to creative new dishes, there are sure to be plenty of indulgent delicacies at your dinner table. While it may seem counterintuitive, Thanksgiving is as good a day as any to prioritize your health and wellness goals.

The key is to remember that health is shaped by our overall dietary and lifestyle patterns throughout the year – and throughout a lifetime – than by any single day. Like most things in life, a healthy lifestyle requires balance. It includes a balance of physical activity and rest, work and relaxation, and all types of foods, from nutrient-rich everyday staples to more indulgent favorites.

Here are a few ways to enjoy Thanksgiving while supporting your health and wellness goals.

Enjoy your favorite foods!

Give yourself permission to fully enjoy the foods you love. All foods can fit into a healthy eating pattern at any time of the year, and what you eat at a single meal – or even over the course of one day – is far less important than your overall dietary pattern.

Allowing yourself to enjoy your favorite holiday foods without guilt can reduce some of the anxiety and pressure that often surround holiday eating. It also allows you to savor those special dishes mindfully without feeling the need to compensate afterward through excessive exercise or food restriction. Remember, enjoying a special meal is part of a balanced lifestyle too.

Honor your hunger and fullness cues.

Thanksgiving is one of those days when it’s easy to eat past the point of comfortable fullness. When we eat until we’re stuffed, we may miss out on fully enjoying the flavors and textures of our favorite foods. It can also take a little time for our brains to register that we’ve had enough to eat.

Rather than arriving at dinner overly hungry, aim to eat, regular balanced meals throughout the day. Skipping breakfast or lunch to save room can leave you feeling ravenous and make it harder to recognize your fullness cues during the big meal. During dinner, slow down when you can, savor each bite, and check in with your hunger and fullness levels. After dinner, try taking a walk or playing games with family until you feel hungry enough to dig into dessert and avoid feeling overly full.

Remember that you can have it again later.

It’s easy to feel compelled to eat a particular dish at Thanksgiving because you won’t get to enjoy it again for another year. If you’ve ever eaten something simply because it was available – even when you weren’t hungry enough to enjoy it – this reminder can be helpful: you don’t have to eat it all today to fully enjoy it.

If you’re looking forward to a favorite pie, casserole or side dish, but don’t have room for it, remember that leftovers are part of the tradition too! You can always enjoy it tomorrow or another day when you’re ready for it. Giving yourself permission to have these foods again can ease the pressure to eat everything at once. Instead of feeling like you have to make the most of every dish in a single sitting, focus on choosing the foods you truly love and enjoying them at your own pace.

Focus on more than food.

While food is certainly a highlight of Thanksgiving, it’s far from the only part of the holiday. Take time to connect with family and friends, express gratitude, enjoy a time-honored tradition, or get outside for fresh air.

Physical activity can be a fun way to spend time together, but it doesn’t need to be used to earn or burn off the food you’ve eaten or plan to eat. Likewise, there’s no need to restrict your meals the next day to make up for Thanksgiving dinner. Simply return to your usual eating and activity routines when the holiday is over.

A healthy lifestyle isn’t build or broken in a single day. Enjoy the foods you love, listen to your body and make room for the traditions and people that make the holidays special. A balanced approach allows you to celebrate while supporting your long-term health.