

Dear Hungry Girl,


Thanksgiving is this week. I usually use this holiday as an excuse to pig out. Any last minute tips for me? I'm hungry already...


-Help Me NOW

Dear Help Me,

I'm glad you emailed asking for help -- that's certainly a good start. Here's the deal. I know it sounds cliche, but there are some things you really should do on Thanksgiving to avoid overeating. They'll help - I promise. First, do NOT starve yourself before the big meal. Eat breakfast. Eat a light meal a few hours before the turkey dinner, too. Do NOT sit down to Thanksgiving dinner when you're STARVING. That is a terrible idea. And have a glass (or two) of water before you start eating, to take the edge off your hunger. That's an old trick that really works well. When you fill up your plate, stick with white meat turkey (not dark). Take lots of steamed veggies or salad (if available) and not as much of the fattening sides. Stick with small portions of dishes like green bean casserole (unless it's our low-cal version!), sweet potato pie (we've got a swap!), stuffing (yep, here's HG's version), mashed potatoes, etc. Have tastes of everything, but don't overdo it. If you feel the need for seconds, go for more white meat turkey and veggies. When it's time for dessert, you shouldn't be too hungry, so instead of having a huge piece of pie with ice cream, have a mini dessert. Need more help? Check out HG's Turkey Day Cheat Sheet on Yahoo!



My boyfriend loves hot wings and I was wondering if you have a healthy recipe for them?


-Wanting Wings

Dear Wanting Wings,


I don't have a real recipe for hot wings, but I do have some tips for you that will very likely satisfy a hot wing craving for a fraction of the calories. Whenever I'm craving wings, I do one of two things. I either pop a few Morningstar Farms wings in the microwave, or I make my version of a hot wing swap; it's super-simple to prepare and low in fat and calories. Take a chicken breast that's been baked, boiled, BBQ'ed, steamed, etc., remove the skin and take all the meat off the bone. Cut chicken into cubes or small pieces. Next, add the secret ingredient -- FRANK'S RedHot. This hot sauce is actually the key ingredient in nearly ALL hot wings. Using it on your beautiful white meat chicken breast is brilliant, because it'll make your lovely chicken meat taste exactly like fatty bar wings. Once your chicken is doused in hot sauce, nuke it until it's heated nicely. If you want, you can top it with reduced-fat grated parmesan -- but you really don't need it. Your white meat chicken cubes mixed with FRANK'S will hit the spot. For added fun, serve with celery and carrot sticks and some fat-free bleu cheese dressing. Yum!


The average Thanksgiving meal contains around 3,000 calories and 229 grams of fat. Yikes!


HG HEADS UP! There will be no Hungry Girl emails this Thursday and Friday. We'll be back on 11/27. Have a very safe and happy Thanksgiving.


