It’s Thanksgiving: Here Are Fun Facts to Share at Your Table, How to Build Your Plate and What to Do With Your Leftovers

It’s a busy (and exciting!) week with Thanksgiving quickly approaching!  Over the past few years I have taken on hosting Thanksgiving dinner and each year I tweak my menu and the flow of the day a little more.  If you are looking for some ways to tweak your Thanksgiving or add some pizzazz, I have you covered!    

First, when sitting around the dinner table, we tend to talk about life, what we are thankful for or the football game on T.V., but let’s mix in some fun facts about the holiday.  

Here are 10 fun facts about Thanksgiving that you can share with your family and friends

• The first thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 as a harvest festival that took place over 3 days, not just one meal on one day. 
• The first turkey trot took place on Thanksgiving morning in 1896 in Buffalo, New York with only 6 runners who each ran about 5 miles.
• Thanksgiving was first celebrated in mid October, but moved to November by President Lincoln so the date would coincide with the Pilgrims’ landing on Plymouth Rock. 
• Butterball has a Turkey Talk-Line for over 40 years allowing customers to call, chat or email any and all of your questions about cooking your turkey.  
  • Here’s the number if you need it: call 1-800-BUTTERBALL or text 844-877-3456.  
• About 68% of Americans actually dislike Thanksgiving dishes 
• Cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie were not present at the first thanksgiving, since sugar was too expensive at that time.  Potatoes were also not included, since they were not in the North American diet yet. 
• The first thanksgiving probably included: duck, geese, swan, venison, lobster, mussels, and grapes. It wasn’t all about the turkey like it is now.  
• Only male turkeys make the “gobble gobble” noise. 
• Thanksgiving leftovers led to the invention of the iconic TV dinner by Swanson. 
• Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird, instead of the bald eagle. 

Now that we got the chit chat covered, let’s focus on building your plate filled with all the yummy dishes!  

Here are 4 tips to building your plate on Thanksgiving

• When creating your plate remember that your eyes may be bigger than your stomach.  Start by adding turkey and vegetables first to assure they are present followed by your starches (potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, dinner roll, etc.).  
• Keep in mind that dinner is not a race, and you can take your time eating.  Be mindful and present in the meal.  Want to learn more about mindful eating?  Click here!
• Remember this is a holiday and social event!  There are no bad foods or need to feel guilty. Enjoy it!!!  
• If you still feel hungry after plate one, that’s okay.  Now is your time to decide if you want seconds or to let your food digest and get ready for dessert!  

Now that dinner is over, it’s like to look over all those leftovers.  To avoid them getting boring overtime, let’s try some new recipes to spice up those leftovers.  

Here are 5 ways to use up your Thanksgiving leftovers

• Cranberry Smoothie
• Stuffing Frittata 
• Cranberry and Turkey Salad 
• Potato Pancakes 
• Pumpkin Pie Martini 

If you share some fun facts, use our tips on building your plate, or try a new recipe, let us know. We love hearing from you!

I hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving with family and friends and know that we at Simple Start Nutrition are thankful for YOU!  

Cheers,  

References: 

https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a22792044/thanksgiving-fun-facts/

Wow Your Family With These 15 Fun Thanksgiving Facts | HuffPost Post 50