FRIENDSGIVING !!!!

Options
So just curious have any of you noticed that this new event called "Friendsgiving" is becoming more and more popular? We've been invited to 3 Dinners "other-than" the one on Thanksgiving day...personally I'm not a fan of roasted turkey so it saves me from having to make any myself....

Any good ideas for eating moderately or good healthy recipes that you've made in the past?

(I mean things that you've actually done and they work for you...refrain from the obvious "eat less" please ;-p)

«13456

Replies

  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Options
    I suggest you have dinner at home. Why go out and add more calories.
  • bmele0
    bmele0 Posts: 282 Member
    Options
    Yes, she could live as a complete shut in or she could go out and enjoy that time with friends!

    Here are some healthier Thanksgiving recipes on eatingwell-

    http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/thanksgiving_collection_1#3
  • HealthyBodySickMind
    HealthyBodySickMind Posts: 1,207 Member
    Options
    We do a Friendsgiving every year (for the past 6 years). My strategy is generally to not eat moderately. This has had no effect on my long term weight or body comp.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    Options
    I suggest you have dinner at home. Why go out and add more calories.

    Yes, why go out and enjoy time with friends? What a horrible idea!

    tumblr_m9cckmRlJK1rd2qw6o1_400.gif
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited November 2014
    Options
    My niece has had a "Friendsgiving" every year for the last four. It serves 2 purposes. 1) it is a nice meal with friends and 2) it is a way for those who live too far away from their families to have a big Thanksgiving dinner even though they will be by themselves on the actual day.

    It started among college students and the recent grads and is just a variation on the "Orphan Thanksgiving" dinners people without families have with other people who don't have families. A bunch of single friends of mine have had orphan dinners for years.

    As far as the eating part, arrive just before dinner so you are less tempted with the schnibbles and drinks, load up on the turkey and veggies, if you are bringing a dish, bring a nice seasoned veggie dish (I like green beans and pearl onions with a balsamic and red wine vinaigrette). mashed potatoes are not essential. Make some kind of hot potato dish that does not require tons of butter and cream.
  • FitFitzy331
    FitFitzy331 Posts: 308 Member
    Options
    bmele0 wrote: »
    Yes, she could live as a complete shut in or she could go out and enjoy that time with friends!

    Here are some healthier Thanksgiving recipes on eatingwell-

    http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/thanksgiving_collection_1#3

    Thanks for this site, some of these recipes look perfect!

    I'm actually having 2 thanksgivings and 2 separate "christmas dinners" so I'm in a similar boat. I plan to make healthier dishes when I can sub something out, but I also plan to drink a lot of water, eat a sizable portion of salad, but also to enjoy myself. I don't eat like this normally but I know that for this to be a full lifestyle change, I'm going to have indulgence days now and then, even after I hit maintenance I'm going to have to "cut" for a few weeks after the holidays. It comes with life. Do what you can to be mindful of what you're eating but also enjoy it!
  • ewhsweets
    ewhsweets Posts: 167 Member
    Options
    Great tips everybody! I'm not opposed to Friendsgivings in fact I'm going to all of them, I think they're a good idea...I am just trying to lose baby-weight from over the summer so I'm not too strict on what I eat. I don't want to allow my diet to dictate who I socialize with but it seems like eventually this could turn into a disaster food-wise for those who have issues with binging over the holidays.

    It's just nice to know it's not just me who's experiencing this new tradition
  • jbee27
    jbee27 Posts: 356 Member
    Options
    I've been doing a "friendsgiving" for at least 5 years with a group of friends from college. It's a way for us to get together before the madness of the holiday season sets in, and to set aside some time to be thankful for our friendships!

    Last year I volunteered to be on side dish duty, and had a lot of fun searching the web for vegetables and other non-butter loaded side dishes that I could bring to make sure I had something healthy to eat. Pinterest is also a great resource for this kind of thing.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    Options
    We do our Thanksgivings as a family. I can't imagine trying to do more than one Thanksgiving in one day!

    What if all the "friends" do it at one locale? Then next year, you all do it at the next friend's house, and so on, and rotate where it occurs each year?
  • kristydi
    kristydi Posts: 781 Member
    edited November 2014
    Options
    We've been to a Friendsgiving for the past several years. Is a fun chance to see friends we might not see much in the busy holiday season. In fact, our Friendsgiving is tomorrow.
    I've taken green beans in the past. You could also do a fix your own baked sweet potato. You can bake them in a slow cooker, wrapped in foil then take the whole slow cooker. Add bowls of butter, Cinnamon butter, brown sugar, and chopped pecans and let people fix their own. You can read a plain one or just add a bit the of fixings.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    Options
    kristydi wrote: »
    Add bowls of butter, Cinnamon butter, brown sugar, and chopped pecans and let people fix their own.

    Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    edited November 2014
    Options
    PRMinx wrote: »
    I suggest you have dinner at home. Why go out and add more calories.

    Yes, why go out and enjoy time with friends? What a horrible idea!

    tumblr_m9cckmRlJK1rd2qw6o1_400.gif

    Well, I don't think the point is that people are saying one shouldn't be hanging out with friends (won't bother to insert my own eyeroll meme here). The point is that this person is going to THREE gigantic dinners...in one day.

    One can "go out and enjoy time with friends" any time (yes, including on Thanksgiving) without eating a giant turkey with all the trimmings and sides...no? I seriously doubt anybody is saying that Friendsgiving is dumb because hanging out with friends is dumb.

    Friendsgiving sounds like a good idea to me if all the friends get together and do *one* of them per year. ;)

  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    edited November 2014
    Options
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    I suggest you have dinner at home. Why go out and add more calories.

    Yes, why go out and enjoy time with friends? What a horrible idea!

    tumblr_m9cckmRlJK1rd2qw6o1_400.gif

    Well, I don't think the point is that people are saying one shouldn't be hanging out with friends (won't bother to insert my own eyeroll meme here). The point is that this person is going to THREE gigantic dinners...in one day.

    One can "go out and enjoy time with friends" any time (yes, including on Thanksgiving) without eating a giant turkey with all the trimmings and sides...no? I seriously doubt anybody is saying that Friendsgiving is dumb because hanging out with friends is dumb.

    Friendsgiving sounds like a good idea to me if all the friends get together and do *one* of them per year. ;)

    Um, no. There's a poster above who suggested she stay home to avoid the calories. That's ridiculous and that's what I was referring to.

    And where does she say it's three dinners on the same day? She says three dinners OTHER than the one on Thanksgiving Day.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    Options
    ewhsweets wrote: »
    Great tips everybody! I'm not opposed to Friendsgivings in fact I'm going to all of them, I think they're a good idea...I am just trying to lose baby-weight from over the summer so I'm not too strict on what I eat. I don't want to allow my diet to dictate who I socialize with but it seems like eventually this could turn into a disaster food-wise for those who have issues with binging over the holidays.

    It's just nice to know it's not just me who's experiencing this new tradition

    Haha by the fourth Thanksgiving spread, you may get tired of some of the food!

    LOL. When in doubt, a nice spinach salad with cranberries and goat cheese or some roasted veggies bring a nice element to a Thanksgiving spread. You can load up on that and turkey and still feel like you are being reasonable.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    Options
    PRMinx wrote: »
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    I suggest you have dinner at home. Why go out and add more calories.

    Yes, why go out and enjoy time with friends? What a horrible idea!

    tumblr_m9cckmRlJK1rd2qw6o1_400.gif

    Well, I don't think the point is that people are saying one shouldn't be hanging out with friends (won't bother to insert my own eyeroll meme here). The point is that this person is going to THREE gigantic dinners...in one day.

    One can "go out and enjoy time with friends" any time (yes, including on Thanksgiving) without eating a giant turkey with all the trimmings and sides...no? I seriously doubt anybody is saying that Friendsgiving is dumb because hanging out with friends is dumb.

    Friendsgiving sounds like a good idea to me if all the friends get together and do *one* of them per year. ;)

    Um, no. There's a poster above who suggested she stay home to avoid the calories. That's ridiculous and that's what I was referring to.

    And where does she say it's three dinners on the same day? She says three dinners OTHER THAN THE ONE ON THANKSGIVING DAY.

    Okay, so...three gigantic Thanksgiving dinners within (presumably) the same week or so. That's a lot for anybody to handle. No, skipping one of those doesn't seem like "not wanting to hang out with friends" to me. It sounds sensible for a person who is trying to watch her weight.

    And I don't see how it translates to just not wanting to hang out with friends in general. As I said above...one can hang out with friends, any time that one is available, without a giant turkey and a thousand butter-drippy sides being involved.

    Don't freak out. :dizzy_face:

  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    Options
    PRMinx wrote: »

    LOL. When in doubt, a nice spinach salad with cranberries and goat cheese or some roasted veggies bring a nice element to a Thanksgiving spread. You can load up on that and turkey and still feel like you are being reasonable.

    Yes, or you can be the veggie platter person! Add a cool dip.

  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    edited November 2014
    Options
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    I suggest you have dinner at home. Why go out and add more calories.

    Yes, why go out and enjoy time with friends? What a horrible idea!

    tumblr_m9cckmRlJK1rd2qw6o1_400.gif

    Well, I don't think the point is that people are saying one shouldn't be hanging out with friends (won't bother to insert my own eyeroll meme here). The point is that this person is going to THREE gigantic dinners...in one day.

    One can "go out and enjoy time with friends" any time (yes, including on Thanksgiving) without eating a giant turkey with all the trimmings and sides...no? I seriously doubt anybody is saying that Friendsgiving is dumb because hanging out with friends is dumb.

    Friendsgiving sounds like a good idea to me if all the friends get together and do *one* of them per year. ;)

    Um, no. There's a poster above who suggested she stay home to avoid the calories. That's ridiculous and that's what I was referring to.

    And where does she say it's three dinners on the same day? She says three dinners OTHER THAN THE ONE ON THANKSGIVING DAY.

    Okay, so...three gigantic Thanksgiving dinners within (presumably) the same week or so. That's a lot for anybody to handle. No, skipping one of those doesn't seem like "not wanting to hang out with friends" to me. It sounds sensible for a person who is trying to watch her weight.

    And I don't see how it translates to just not wanting to hang out with friends in general. As I said above...one can hang out with friends, any time that one is available, without a giant turkey and a thousand butter-drippy sides being involved.

    Don't freak out. :dizzy_face:

    If you go back read the thread, you will see I was specifically responding to a specific post that said she should stay home to avoid the calories.

    I'm not freaking out - but you should read the whole thread before making assumptions.
  • librarial
    librarial Posts: 61 Member
    Options
    I'm hosting a Friendsgiving event this year. We're making the turkey, but asking friends to bring dishes, too. Since it's a little non-traditional, I'd LOVE it if some of my health-conscious friends brought healthier dishes to pass. Feel free to think outside of the traditional Thanksgiving box! A few years ago I made a cold curried tofu salad to share, and it was actually pretty awesome, despite not being traditional Thanksgiving food.

    Maybe offer to make a side dish yourself, and make something really healthy to share? Then you can make sure to get a big serving of that on your plate, and just smaller tastes of the other dishes.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    Options
    PRMinx wrote: »


    If you go back read the thread, you will see I was specifically responding to a specific post that said she should stay home to avoid the calories.

    (sigh)

    (putting on "patience" face)

    Yes. That was a suggestion. And it in no way pointed to just not wanting to hang out with friends in general or thinking it was "weird" to want to hang out with friends in general. It pointed to avoiding tons and tons and tons of crazy Thanksgiving calories within a short period of time.

    I'm sorry, that's as far as I can help you, if you are truly not understanding this.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    Options
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »


    If you go back read the thread, you will see I was specifically responding to a specific post that said she should stay home to avoid the calories.

    (sigh)

    (putting on "patience" face)

    Yes. That was a suggestion. And it in no way pointed to just not wanting to hang out with friends in general or thinking it was "weird" to want to hang out with friends in general. It pointed to avoiding tons and tons and tons of crazy Thanksgiving calories within a short period of time.

    I'm sorry, that's as far as I can help you, if you are truly not understanding this.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Wut?

    He literally said "eat dinner at home, why go out and add more calories." To me that implies, stay home to avoid eating calories. If he had said, "eat dinner at home and then go out and play with your friends," that would be different.