Think before you eat

November 4, 2011 • Elizabeth Hansen, Online Editor  
Filed under Just For Fun

The stereotypical dreaded aunt storms into the house fussing over how big you’ve gotten and squeezing your cheeks till their purple, followed by multitudes of cousins, grandparents, nieces and nephews. A big feast is laid out on the table, with succulent turkey legs and steaming rolls. Toy trucks and sippy cups are littered around from the little ones playing while the older relatives reminisce about good times. Remind you of anything?

You guessed it, Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate with family and friends and be thankful for what has been giving to you and your loved ones. It’s a day that brings together for one grand feast that will create memories that last a life time. How about we dive into the more statistical side of things?

On an average Thanksgiving Day, our eyes tend to be bigger than our stomachs and stack the plates high with delicious delicacies we would be lucky to consume. And, of course, we eat it all anyways, because who doesn’t want to pop a button and sit back after a great feast?

A normal American consumes 13.8 pounds of turkey annually (probably half from just Thanksgiving alone). Four ounces of roasted white turkey meat is 180 calories. So let’s do the math. 13.8 pounds is about 224 ounces. 224 ounces would be 10,080 calories just in turkey for an entire year. Now imagine that big pile on your plate.

Now let’s examine some of the other staples for the holiday. Turkey gravy is 200 calories for one cup, stuffing is 380 for one cup, mashed potatoes are 190 for one cup, and jellied cranberry sauce is 110 for only ¼ cup.  Combine that with the rising turkey index and the number starts getting pretty high.

Desserts get even better.  Even after piling on the massive main course, somehow we still have a little room left for that slice of pie. One slice of pumpkin pie is 316 calories, a slice of apple is 411, a slice of pecan is 503, and a slice of chocolate cream is 535. ½ a cup of vanilla ice cream is 145 calories and candied pecans come out to be 139 for one ounce.  

Sophomore Halie Unrein declares, “There may be a lot of calories, but it’s worth every bite.”

Of course, one of the best things about Thanksgiving is being able to gorge in gluttony with family members by your side, but we should always keep it realistic. Remember when that second dollop of mashed potatoes looks so tempting, those seemingly pointless numbers are adding up.

Have a  happy Thanksgiving  Coronado and at least try to think before you eat! 

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