This Thanksgiving is my first “eating” holiday on keto. While I plan to enjoy myself, I want to keep my carbs low, fat high, and protein moderate so that I do not feel so weighed down and sluggish after the meal.
Before I post this year’s menu with macros, I wanted to take some time to reflect on Thanksgivings past when the first order of business after Thanksgiving dinner was to take a nap to sleep off all the carbs and calories that I had consumed. Let’s take a look, shall we?
All the items below are approximated using standard serving sizes of foods entered into Cronometer (except where serving sizes are noted).
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Total Carbs | Net Carbs | |
| Roasted Turkey | 502.7 | 67.9 | 23.5 | 1.4 | 1.1 |
| Dressing | 455.1 | 6.2 | 33.0 | 34.7 | 31.9 |
| Gravy (1/4 cup) | 57.8 | 1.1 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 2.9 |
| Candied Yams | 418.8 | 4.5 | 9.6 | 81.2 | 73.7 |
| Green Beans | 70.0 | 3.0 | 4.5 | 6.0 | 4.0 |
| Macaroni and Cheese | 446.1 | 19.5 | 23.7 | 38.6 | 36.7 |
| Biscuits (2) | 298.7 | 4.8 | 16.6 | 32.6 | 31.4 |
| Jellied Cranberry Sauce (2 tbsp) | 55.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 14.0 | 13.6 |
| Pecan Pie | 527.4 | 5.4 | 29.9 | 63.8 | 61.9 |
| Chocolate Cream Pie | 437.1 | 7.6 | 22.7 | 50.7 | 48.3 |
| Grand Total | 3268.8 | 120.3 | 168.1 | 326.0 | 305.5 |
I can’t believe that I used to consume so much food and so many carbs. With the keto way of eating, I aim for no more than 20 net carbs per day. My old Thanksgiving meal would be the equivalent of over 15 days’ worth of carbs! No wonder I felt like I had been hit by a truck after the meal was over.
Upon reflecting on this, I’m even more motivated to keep it keto this year!
Keto in Carolina 