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The holiday season is a time for connection, celebration, and let’s be honest—a lot of delicious food. But it can also be overwhelming, with tables piled high with tempting dishes that make it easy to overindulge. Today, I want to share a Thanksgiving revelation that completely changed how I approach the holiday season. This simple mindset shift has helped me savor the treats that truly matter while effortlessly passing on the ones that don’t.
Picture this: a Thanksgiving table overflowing with the classics—golden-brown turkey, creamy green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows, and those perfectly flaky Pillsbury crescent rolls. Everything looked—and tasted—amazing.
As I enjoyed my meal, I cleared my plate and decided to go back for seconds. Without much thought, the first thing I grabbed was the bowl of crescent rolls.
Then something unexpected happened.
I’m not sure what compelled me to stop and think about my actions that day, but in the midst of reaching for that delicious piece of bread, I had a realization that stopped me in my tracks: I’m an adult. For a few dollars, I can buy a tin of crescent rolls, bake them at home, and enjoy them anytime.
There was nothing inherently special about those rolls being on the Thanksgiving table.
That moment was a game-changer for me. I put the rolls back and paused to think: What on this table is truly special enough to be worth seconds?
The answer was clear: sweet potato casserole.
Sure, I could make sweet potato casserole any time of the year, but let’s be honest—it’s a lot of work. It’s not something I’m going to whip up on a random Tuesday, which made it feel special enough to deserve a spot on my plate. So, I guiltlessly helped myself to seconds of the sweet potato casserole—no crescent rolls, no extra turkey, and not even more vegetables.
The limited space in my stomach was reserved for the food I genuinely wanted to enjoy that day.
What I learned from this moment goes beyond Thanksgiving. As humans, we often overreact to the idea of scarcity. Have you ever decided to start a diet tomorrow and spent the rest of the day eating everything in sight—even when you weren’t hungry? That’s a normal response to feeling restricted.
The same mindset causes us to overbuy seasonal treats or overeat holiday dishes, thinking we’ll miss out if we don’t indulge. But here’s the truth: many of these foods aren’t as “limited edition” as they seem.
This mindset has been a game-changer for me when it comes to holidays and limited-edition foods.
For example, once I learned to make perfect dupes of Starbucks’ cranberry bliss bars, I could bake them in July if I wanted. That knowledge took away the urgency to overindulge when they were in stores.
When we realize we can have many of these foods anytime, it removes the pressure to overeat. That’s exactly what happened with the crescent rolls. I didn’t need three of them on Thanksgiving because I could enjoy them any other day.
To be clear, this doesn’t mean I’ll never eat a crescent roll on Thanksgiving—I might still want one with my meal, and that’s perfectly okay! But I no longer feel compelled to eat more than I truly want just because something is on the table.
This holiday season, I encourage you to try this approach:
This mindset has helped me enjoy the holidays more fully and carry healthier habits into the rest of the year. It reduces the knee-jerk reactions we often have to food restrictions and allows us to savor the moments—and meals—that truly matter.
So, this Thanksgiving and beyond, focus on what’s special. Savor it. Enjoy it. And remember: the joy of the holidays isn’t just about the food—it’s about how we feel, the connections we make, and the memories we create.
November 22, 2024
