Seven ways to burn calories on Thanksgiving Day
By Sara Novak, Planet Green
The average American will consume 3,000 calories and 229 grams of fat this Thanksgiving, as a result of a traditional Thanksgiving meal packed with calories. So how do you stave off seasonal weight gain? Well, I've never been a fan of gyms and if you know me, you know that food is by far my favorite hobby. In order to truly ensure that I don't blow up during the holidays I've got to get my butt in gear.
Let's get down to the numbers. This is all based on a 130-pound individual. After these seven activities you'll be well on your way to burning off the meal and you never even had to set foot in a gym.
1. Holiday baking--2 hours
I love baking for the holidays so this is no chore for me. Do your own baking so that you can control the ingredients and use mostly organic or local ingredients. (How about a Vegan Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake?) Don't have gourmet baked goods flown in from who knows where when you could just make them yourself.
If you're baking at a moderate rate--standing, rolling out dough, kneading, etc.--you'll burn as many calories as running nearly five miles in two hours of baking. Who knew? And you'll have the extra bonus of a delicious smell wafting through your home.
Calories burned: 471
Calories burned: 471
2. Cleaning the house before the guests arrive--2 hours
This is another built-in workout that means you don't have to waste energy going to a gym. What's more, you can do things your way. That is using green cleaning supplies instead of toxic chemicals in your house.
See our guide to cleaning green.
Calories burned: 412
Calories burned: 412
3. Composting all your Thanksgiving waste--30 minutes
Twenty-three percent of the waste that we generate in this country could be composted and considering how much food waste occurs during the holidays, composting is a given.
If you spend 30 minutes at different points in the day composting, you'll burn calories.
Calories burned: 148
Calories burned: 148
4. Picking produce from the garden for the big meal--30 minutes
The best way to keep it local is to get it out of your garden. Make whatever is growing in your fall garden a part of your holiday feast.
From root vegetables to cabbage and squash, being flexible with your menu means keeping it local. And gardening is a great way to stay slim and trim.
Calories burned: 89
Calories burned: 89
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