How many calories is a typical Thanksgiving?

ElizabethRoad
ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
edited October 5 in Food and Nutrition
Just wondering since so many people are worrying about it. How many calories do you think the average person eats for Thanksgiving, and how many do you think you will eat?

We had an early Thanksgiving party a couple of weeks ago. I ate so much that my stomach hurt and I was way over-full. I tried to estimate the calories - always difficult when it's potluck - and came up with 1900 for the day. I realize that could be way off, but I think I did a decent job of estimating.

Replies

  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
    That depends on the geographic region. I'm sure a traditional Southern style Thanksgiving (while amazing and would make Paula Deen proud) is probably far more than the typical Normal Rockwell-esque Northeast feast of a large bird, stuffing, veg, mashed taters, gravy, pumpkin pie.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,222 Member
    3841.85604 give or take. j/k
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    OK so the second part of the question, how much do you think you will eat?
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    3841.85604 give or take. j/k
    I'm going to need you to be a little more specific.:laugh:
  • Meggles63
    Meggles63 Posts: 916 Member
    I suppose you could try and recall everything you ate and enter is as a recipe to get a total.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    I suppose you could try and recall everything you ate and enter is as a recipe to get a total.
    Um did you read my post or just the title? Just asking out of curiosity, people.
  • deathstarclock
    deathstarclock Posts: 512 Member
    3841.85604 give or take. j/k

    quoting for truth
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    Just wondering since so many people are worrying about it. How many calories do you think the average person eats for Thanksgiving, and how many do you think you will eat?

    We had an early Thanksgiving party a couple of weeks ago. I ate so much that my stomach hurt and I was way over-full. I tried to estimate the calories - always difficult when it's potluck - and came up with 1900 for the day. I realize that could be way off, but I think I did a decent job of estimating.

    If i'm not putting down 5k, something is wrong with the food
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    I expect to clear 4k.
  • lockermama
    lockermama Posts: 16
    This begs the question, is it appropriate for me to take my little scale to my mother-in-law's for Thanksgiving? I could slip it under my plate to find the weight of my food...
  • bcampbell54
    bcampbell54 Posts: 932 Member
    18 bazillion.
    I plan to keep mine to >600 for the "dinner", that lasts most of the afternoon and evening. My wife and I will be at my dads, but we have a strategy:
    1. Take over the kitchen
    2. Make things as healthy as possible
    3. Make the yams and marshmallows, and the canned cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole, because everybody expects it, but just eat enough to taste it, and have plenty of "good" stuff to fill you up.
    4. Count it

    Last year we did this, and lost a couple of pounds over the week.
  • LalLewis
    LalLewis Posts: 9
    Oh my dear...........The typical holiday meal can have more than 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat, according to the Caloric Control Council. That's almost three days worth of food for most of us! Butter, cream and white bread seem to be lurking in almost every dish, and the meal never seems to end.
    However, there are lots on on-site suggestions for lower calorie feasts for Thanksgiving. I live in England and our blow out of the year is on Christmas Day, which can count up over 6,000 calories if you add the stilton cheese and port wine, mince pies and chocolate. I really dont know how Im going to attack that one, but I will!!
  • DesertSunsetRain
    DesertSunsetRain Posts: 194
    I would imagine it would be upwards of 3,000+ calories that people consume. Mostly because people eat a lot of "this and that" and a lot of those this's and that's contain more calories than you realize. Like a piece of pecan pie is like 450 calories a slice. I know there are other lower calorie pies, but that is just an example. There is also the chips and snacks you eat before the meal. It adds up very fast.

    For your second question, I am not sure how many calories I will eat. I am really only going for the mashed potatoes and rolls because that is my favorite part of Thanksgiving, haha.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    I'll definately be consuming roughly 5k or so.
  • The_Saint
    The_Saint Posts: 358 Member
    I'm aiming for 10,000 across the day.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    I'm aiming for 10,000 across the day.

    *bows*

    I am not worthy of this epic calorie day, master...for I am but an apprentice.
  • The_Saint
    The_Saint Posts: 358 Member
    I'm aiming for 10,000 across the day.

    *bows*

    I am not worthy of this epic calorie day, master...for I am but an apprentice.

    Just think Cheesecake for desert instead of pie :)
    Then eat half now and the rest while watching football!
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Oh my dear...........The typical holiday meal can have more than 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat, according to the Caloric Control Council. That's almost three days worth of food for most of us! Butter, cream and white bread seem to be lurking in almost every dish, and the meal never seems to end.
    However, there are lots on on-site suggestions for lower calorie feasts for Thanksgiving. I live in England and our blow out of the year is on Christmas Day, which can count up over 6,000 calories if you add the stilton cheese and port wine, mince pies and chocolate. I really dont know how Im going to attack that one, but I will!!
    I'm sure I would explode. Mind you, when I was a teenager and even into my twenties, I could eat like that. And I was skinny! My appetite is so small these days.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    I'm cooking this year so I started entering my recipes last month. I should just be able to go into the recipe box and just click a few things. I fully expect my meal to be between 1500 and 2000 calories. But I will also be pumping away on the elliptical whilst roasting my bird.
  • chosengiver
    chosengiver Posts: 1,462 Member
    I'm aiming for 10,000 across the day.

    *bows*

    I am not worthy of this epic calorie day, master...for I am but an apprentice.


    **ROFL**
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    Just wondering since so many people are worrying about it. How many calories do you think the average person eats for Thanksgiving, and how many do you think you will eat?

    We had an early Thanksgiving party a couple of weeks ago. I ate so much that my stomach hurt and I was way over-full. I tried to estimate the calories - always difficult when it's potluck - and came up with 1900 for the day. I realize that could be way off, but I think I did a decent job of estimating.
    I'll probably eat about 3000 calories at one sitting in my family's get together.



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  • cabaray
    cabaray Posts: 971 Member
    I'm guessing dinner will be about 2500 calories. I'll just work my butt of early in the day and enjoy the evening.
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
    another poster posted about this website (http://walking.about.com/library/cal/blthanksgivingcalories.htm) to give an estimate of what your dinner will come to. according to it, what i am going to eat totals 2250. :)
  • WalkingGirl1985
    WalkingGirl1985 Posts: 2,046 Member
    Hmm...my guess ranges 2-3tho.
This discussion has been closed.

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