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

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  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    Wow! We don't do thanksgiving in the UK, but we have a roast dinner on Xmas day. I logged my calories on Xmas day a couple of years ago, just out of interest. I think I had about 2500 calories for the entire day, and that was including a glass of cava!
  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
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    I think 3000 calories on Thanksgiving is a solid average. Some eat much less, some eat much more. Besides - I've never known anyone who stops at one piece of pie. Usually one at dinner for dessert and one later in the evening. Plus you didn't add any wine, cocktails, coffee with creamer.

    There are only three days out of the year that I plan on not logging. Thanksgiving is one of them...I just don't want the reality of how many calories I consumed.

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  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
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    Challenge accepted! I had a 2,100+ day for Fourth of July (my logging sucked back then, probably really 2,500+), and "normal" eating rest of week--lost almost 2 pounds the week after. Go figure.

    My Thanksgiving goal--3,000+. No regrets, either. It's very wonderful to gather with our family and celebrate our blessings. And that means beautiful food is eaten. Oh, beautiful, calorific foods :smile:
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    I have a mini pecan pie recipe that makes a pie about the size of your palm that is about 900 calories. It's called corn syrup and Crisco.

    Wine, 3 glasses (150 cals/6 oz glass) = 450 calories
    Pepperidge farm stuffing 1 cup: 225 calories
    2 crescent rolls: 200 calories
    Mashed potato (1/2 cup): 105 calories (my recipe)
    Butter for mashed potatoes & rolls: (100 cals/1 tbsp of Kerrygold salted butter) 300 calories

    So I got bored, but that's 1,080 calories. I usually also eat some cranberry sauce, Tofurkey or gardein turkey cutlets with gravy (breaded), apple crisp (pure syrup in it, plus tons of butter). Desert alone is well over 1000 calories with the pecan pie, pumpkin pie, bread pudding, caramel rum sauce, ice cream, and whipped cream. Also, our appetizer is celery with full fat cream cheese.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
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    Last year I had 2274 logged, and that's only because my sister in law dropped the damn cheesecake. This year I'm expecting closer to 3500-4000
  • Cathalain
    Cathalain Posts: 424 Member
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    I don't really have much family left (only my mother and my husband), so we don't really cook a whole lot anymore. We do a seafood buffet at a VERY expensive restaurant that we normally can't afford during the year - I've found that doing this actually has cut WAY down on the amount of calories I usually eat on T-Day. Seafood (especially tilapia) tends to be pretty low in the carb/calorie count, but very high on protein, which is just what I need.

    It works out in the end - I don't OD on carby things (I'm diabetic and can't really afford to), I keep within my limits, and there's little to no leftovers (though I will roast a turkey breast because, well, I just love turkey breast) to consume later. My mom and my husband can and do have the traditional fixings, as much as they like. And we all get to enjoy the day together, which is what it's really all about.
  • Hadabetter
    Hadabetter Posts: 942 Member
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    You're below 3000 calories, but I'm above it. I would say that 3000 on average isn't far off.
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,114 Member
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    Take away the salad, add at least two more rolls, fried chicken strips, some macaroni and cheese, a brownie, maybe a couple of cookies...

    Yep, I suspect 3K is about average.
  • RoseyDgirl
    RoseyDgirl Posts: 306 Member
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    Well, I'm not worried about the calories for one day. I am going to be good this year though, and attempt to stay away from refined sugars and grains. So my meal this year will be:

    turkey
    garlic mash potato (can't not have this one... ) and with lots of butter...
    Butternut squash w/butter
    green beans

    and perhaps a paleo banana bread muffin (since I'm thinking to bake this and bring to dinner) - with butter...

    And... if I find a good recipe for a pumpkin mousse _ some of that too.

    and - then there's going to be 3 or 4 gluten free Angry Orchard Hard ciders... 1000 calories and worth it for a one day affair/holiday.

    No regrets because Friday will be back to my regular routine, and no more drinking for a while...
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,114 Member
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    Ooh, and don't forget soda and/or sweet tea.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    3,000 on Thanksgiving?
    Child's play, darlings.
  • LeonCX
    LeonCX Posts: 862 Member
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    The funny thing is - almost everything on that day's menu is actually good for you. It's the way it's prepared that's the killer. Yams with lots of brown sugar and marshmallows. Turkey with the skin left on and lots of gravy. Not just green beans - but green bean casserole with the FF onions. Can't wait... >:)
  • mikeshockley
    mikeshockley Posts: 684 Member
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    CAWFEE_TAWK wrote: »
    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.

    Absolutely!!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    LeonCX wrote: »
    The funny thing is - almost everything on that day's menu is actually good for you. It's the way it's prepared that's the killer. Yams with lots of brown sugar and marshmallows. Turkey with the skin left on and lots of gravy. Not just green beans - but green bean casserole with the FF onions. Can't wait... >:)

    Yeah, I always joke that the key to a fitting Thanksgiving side is taking something healthy and adding lots of extra calories.

    Not the turkey, really (I don't like gravy). But potatoes with lots of butter and sometimes cream, sweet potatoes with whatever people do to them, green bean casserole, Brussels sprouts with bacon, creamed spinach, my mother always does a broccoli and cauliflower casserole with lots of cheese and bread crumbs, even the pumpkin and apple pie could be included in this.

    As a result it would be pretty easy to make it much lower calorie (but for the desserts) if one wanted to and was in control of the menu. I'm not the main cook this year, so I'm just going to bring a couple of lower calorie sides (and maybe a dessert) and then relax about it and enjoy myself. I usually don't go that nuts anyway, although I'm sure the calories add up. There will be no realistic way to log.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    GiveMeCoffee wrote: »
    Last year I had 2274 logged, and that's only because my sister in law dropped the damn cheesecake. This year I'm expecting closer to 3500-4000

    LOL!!!

    Ohhh it was easy to do 3000 calories for Thanksgiving, then when desserts time came well I surpassed that 3000 calories probably 2-3 times that amount!!! :wink:

  • ksolksol
    ksolksol Posts: 194 Member
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    Just for the record, the claim I've seen is not 3,000 for the day, which is more than doable. It's 3,000 for the single meal alone, plus 1,500 in snacks and drinks, plus two other meals, so more like 5,000 - 6,000 for the day.

    And also for the record, I fully intend to enjoy my Thanksgiving dinner without worrying about calories. It is indeed only once a year. :)

    But I'm also going to stop... pretty naturally and without regrets... WELL before 3,000 on that one meal. That much food for me would become simply unpleasant and the point is to enjoy it!

    Interesting to see everyone's perspective.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    Just for fun, I tried to do this exercise for the "average" Passover seder meal.

    4 glasses of wine
    1 piece matzo
    1 hard-boiled egg
    2 tbsp charoset
    1 oz parsley dipped in saltwater
    1 piece maror
    1 cup matzo ball soup (with matzo ball)
    2 pieces gefilte fish
    1 tbsp horseradish
    100g green salad with dressing
    1 slice roast beef
    4 oz roast chicken breast
    3 oz roast beef
    3 oz meatballs and sauce
    2 pieces potato kugel
    2 pieces apple kugel
    100g mixed roasted vegetables
    1 slice sponge cake
    1 slice flourless chocolate cake
    5 macaroons
    3 meringue cookies
    Bite of the afikoman

    ...Already well over 4000 calories, and counting. And I'm sure I forgot some stuff.
  • JenD1066
    JenD1066 Posts: 298 Member
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    Easily done. Especially when you consider that our big family Thanksgivings start with coffee (with cream) and mimosas, and then everyone is in and out of the kitchen all day "testing" everything. And of course, a slice of pumpkin pie and a slice of the pecan.
  • Cortelli
    Cortelli Posts: 1,369 Member
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    ksolksol wrote: »
    Just for the record, the claim I've seen is not 3,000 for the day, which is more than doable. It's 3,000 for the single meal alone, plus 1,500 in snacks and drinks, plus two other meals, so more like 5,000 - 6,000 for the day.

    Do most people eat two other meals on Thanksgiving? I might have a very light breakfast; but after that, it is one long, leisurely snack / appetizer / meal / dessert lasting from early afternoon until late afternoon / early evening. I would admittedly be hard-pressed to get 5k - 6k for the day without seriously hitting the booze hard.

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