The 3,000-calorie Thanksgiving dinner -- myth or reality?

ksolksol

Every year about this time a diet industry group puts out a dire warning that we're all going to eat 3,000 calories (average, anyway) on Thanksgiving dinner alone (not counting snacks and other meals) and the media laps it up unquestioningly. Nowhere have I ever found how they tallied this.

For funsies, I put together what a 3,000-calorie dinner (2,965 per USDA Supertracker) might look like:

half pound turkey, dark and light meat, skin eaten
6 ounces ham
A full cup each mashed potatoes (made w/butter & cream cheese), dressing (with meat), corn, and green beans cooked with mushroom sauce
1/2 cup giblet gravy
A dinner roll with a full tablespoon of butter
Two cups of garden salad with avocado, topped with 3 tablespoons blue cheese dressing
A slice of cranberry sauce
A slice of pecan pie with 2 tablespoons heavy whipped cream

Granted, it IS easy to eat a lot more on Thanksgiving than intended, but I think saying the "average" holiday meal is 3,000 calories is exaggerating a bit. I'm a pretty healthy eater, and I'd be physically ill if I tried to eat that much in one sitting.

If anyone knows how the 3,000-calorie dinner was originally calculated, I'm all ears.

Strange_magic

I don't think it's exaggerated at all. Between food and wine, I'll be amazed if I don't go over 4,000. And I don't really care if I do. It's a day.

contingencyplan

Considering how easy it is to put away massive amounts of pumpkin pie at the dessert table and drown your mashed potatoes and turkey in gravy, I see it being extremely possible. I'm sure I probably do close to that in desserts alone.

SapiensPisces

I can easily down a 3,000 calorie thanksgiving. Mostly, because I really love mashed potatoes, gravy, and stuffing... and bread... and pie... and wine...

RunWinterGarden

From all of the family Thanksgiving dinners I've ever been at, with multiple families, I don't think it's an exaggeration at all and 3,000 average calories sounds about right.

brcossette

I consider that a low bar mark on thanksgiving for me. Thats why my family does the Turkey Trot every thanksgiving morning.

trenzalours

Excuse my french but holy *kitten* thats a lot of food! Back when I was a heavy eater and addicted to food I'd be saying "Sign me up!" but now I look at that and feel kind of sick? I'm hoping to stick to my calories for that day and maybe skip lunch just incase I overeat a little on Thanksgiving.

I'm really worried about the holidays and my healthy eating- It's going to be a struggle but hopefully by those times roll around I won't even be worried just excited to be eating the healthiest at the table.

RetiredNavy_CT

Ahh it's fine, not like I eat anything that day and if I workout a little it all balances out.

willrun4bagels

Sounds about right. I don't log on Thanksgiving and Xmas... and run a turkey trot race every Thanksgiving morning before the foodfest to slightly offset the damage I do that day.

SmartAlec03211988

Way too easy. A slice (or two) of pie topped with ice cream is over 500 calories for sure. Plus, the macaroni and cheese is going to be another 400-500, so that's 1000-1100 right there.

Then add in turkey, gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes... lawd. Yup. 3,000 is well within reality.

MinimalistShoeAddict

I am way over 3000 calories every year. 3000 calories are not impossible to fit into your daily calorie requirement. Just go for a long morning run on Thanksgiving!

Cortelli

You forgot the wine. And champagne to start. And deviled eggs, salami and cheeses as appetizers. And maybe sausage-stuffed mushrooms as a starter. And crackers to go with the salami and cheese. And the multiple (not one) dinner rolls. Perhaps some yams covered in marshmallows. And the coffee with cream, brandy, pumpkin and apple pie, etc. I know I am easily over 3000 kcals on Thanksgiving, and I don't eat nearly as much of some of the things you put together as your meal.

Edit: And I think of the "meal" as something that happens over several hours, not just when one finally sits to eat the main portion of the meal.

lilawolf

Except instead of corn and green beans it would be creamed corn and green bean casserole (cheese and bacon and onion straws), it would be a second roll and fruit salad (with whipped cream and marshmallows) instead of green salad, the pie is missing a scoop of ice cream, and you've completely forgotten any liquid calories which are easily 500-1500 calories even if you don't drink alcohol. Hot chocolate, mulled cider, egg nogg, wine, champagne, mixed drinks, etc, etc, etc. I would probably not quite eat everything you listed (let alone what I listed), but I would definitely make up for it in the booze department.

SmartAlec03211988

I'd have to run 11 miles to burn off Thanksgiving dinner. Doable, buuuuuut I'm probably not going to lol.

WinoGelato

So I was curious, went back to look at what I logged last year at Thanksgiving. We celebrate twice, once on Thursday with my husband's family and once on Saturday with my family. The food varies a little bit, but the staples for me are the same: some appetizers, turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, rolls, some vegetable, pecan pie, and wine.

Last year Thanksgiving Day my meal was 2,076 cals and on Saturday 1,975 cals.

I'm pretty good about not going back for seconds, I don't like gravy, whipped cream, or pumpkin pie. So I can see how it would be pretty easy to hit 3,000 cals if you were into any of those things...

I lost 0.5 lbs the week of Thanksgiving.

AquabearGO

I will eat 3000 calories on the hors d ouvres and cocktails beforehand alone.........

skullshank

its not the meat and potatoes that bring it up to 3k so quickly...the butter, gravy, sugar, booze are all heavy hitters, calorie-wise. i think thanksgiving is easily a 6,000+ calorie day for some of us.

my breakfast is always heavy...pastries, eggs, meats, mimosas
then around 1pm i start grazing...cheese, crackers, hot appetizers of puff pastries and meatsies, mixed cocktails
by dinner, i'm ready to murder some turkey, stuffing, taters, olives, cranberry sauce, crescent rolls, biscuits, and wine wine wine.
beyond that, it's pie, cookies, irish coffee, and port.

is it gluttonous? yep
necessary? nope
am i worried about it? lemme check....

i love celebrating with food. it makes me happy.

AngryViking1970

AquabearGO wrote: »

I will eat 3000 calories on the hors d ouvres and cocktails beforehand alone.........

Yep. Those mimosas aren't going to drink themselves.

willrun4bagels

Is it bad that now I'm hungry for Thanksgiving food just from reading all of these comments?

alexandradeyl

Ill probably go way over. Last year I went to McDonalds, ate that in the car, and then went to my boyfriend's house and ate a huge dinner. Certain holidays and scenarios give me the green light to eat whatever I want. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, my birthday, and pregnancy. I also have a cheat night once a week. In my experience, as long as I stick to my calorie goal MOST of the time, I still lose weight.

Wronkletoad

exactly. doesn't seem to be a problem. and it's a good "food for thought" -- just as it's easy to underestimate Calories, it's even easier to underestimate exercise.

but it's Thanksgiving YAY

lilawolf

I forgot I could go back and look! Last year, I ate 3800 calories that day (not just dinner).

SmartAlec03211988

Went back and checked how much I ate during Thanksgiving last year: 3,483.

SLHysell

I fully plan to meet or exceed that calorie number! One day a year isn't going to ruin me. And it's oh so yummy!

Cortelli

Kruggeri wrote: »

So I was curious, went back to look at what I logged last year at Thanksgiving. We celebrate twice, once on Thursday with my husband's family and once on Saturday with my family. The food varies a little bit, but the staples for me are the same: some appetizers, turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, rolls, some vegetable, pecan pie, and wine.

Last year Thanksgiving Day my meal was 2,076 cals and on Saturday 1,975 cals.

I'm pretty good about not going back for seconds, I don't like gravy, whipped cream, or pumpkin pie. So I can see how it would be pretty easy to hit 3,000 cals if you were into any of those things...

I lost 0.5 lbs the week of Thanksgiving.

My, my - interesting idea! I went back and looked, too, and I logged 2910 kcals -- but that was at a time when I was very, very serious about trying to maintain a deficit, and a decent one on a weekly basis. I looked at my food log and realized that was a paltry Thanksgiving by my imagined (with some justification) "normal" Thanksgiving.

DeWoSa

This is how I'd calculate a 3,000 calorie Thankgiving dinner (USDA calories):

360: 8 oz turkey no skin roasted
200: 1 cup Pepperidge Farm bread stuffing
414: 1 cup mashed potatoes made with 1 tbsp butter and 1/4 cup sour cream
131: 1 cup green beans with 1 tbsp butter
233: 1 cup corn with 1 tbsp butter
100: 1 cup gravy
140: 2 dinner rolls
646: 2 slices pumpkin pie
100: sweet tea
100: coffee with creamer and sugar

2424 calories. That's pretty close. Even if I only had second on the stuffing and mashed potatoes I'd be at 3000.

The good news is, damn! I can eat a massive amount and only eat 2224 calories. My daily is 1450 and my maintenance is around 2000.

Thanks for posting this! I was dreading Thanksgiving but now I see that it will fit in just fine!

WinoGelato

willrun4bagels wrote: »

Is it bad that now I'm hungry for Thanksgiving food just from reading all of these comments?

Nope, I am totally now craving pecan pie and sweet potato casserole.

hiswaywardgirl

I could see eating 3,000 calories, easily. The dinner itself -- turkey and sides -- might not be that bad, but the appetizers (bread, cookies, cheese, crackers, potato chips...) and desserts (pie, cake, ice cream, rum balls, cookies...) and the beverages (eggnog, beer, wine, shots...) add up quickly. I dunno, Thanksgiving in my family is a huge potluck wonderland.

It's easy to stress out about, but like others have said, I try to give myself a break and enjoy life. Even if you want to count calories, just look at your weekly caloric intake. Don't consume nearly as many calories the next day, and work out more/eat well the rest of the week to make up for it.

willrun4bagels

Kruggeri wrote: »

willrun4bagels wrote: »

Is it bad that now I'm hungry for Thanksgiving food just from reading all of these comments?

Nope, I am totally now craving pecan pie and sweet potato casserole.

I want green bean casserole and crescent rolls and warm, mulled wine.

lilawolf

That's why tis the season for bulking . As long as I go lift (and seriously getting some time away from the family can be a great thing), the calories are all to the good.

Need2Exerc1se

I would love it if I ate only 3000 calories on Thanksgiving.

Because both my parents and in-laws are crazy, we eat two full Thanksgiving dinners every year, and that includes dessert at both. And because they crazy, I usually finish the night off with a bottle of wine when we finally get home. So there is another 600 (or so) calories right there.