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Thanksgiving turkey

How much do you ACTUALLY eat?

BY Dave Ross  on November 21, 2012 @ 2:23 pm (Updated: 6:00 pm - 11/21/12 )

How many calories is the average Thanksgiving meal? The New York Times Tara Parker-Pope looked into that because there's a figure from the Calorie Control Council which I find incredible -- that the average Thanksgiving meal can hit 4500 Calories. That includes 229 grams of fat.

That's just the one meal -- doesn't count breakfast or leftovers. You might as well just sit down to three sticks of butter.

So Tara decided to check the figures... and the good news is, that to get to that level, you would have to be pathologically gluttonous.

Here's what she came up with: four ounces of dark meat, two ounces of white WITH the skin, stuffing with not just bread but with SAUSAGE, dinner roll with butter, a half cup of the traditional mashed potatoes, PLUS butter-enhanced sweet potato casserole with brown sugar and marshmallows, PLUS gravy, plus 2/3rds of a cup of the green bean casserole, plus cranberry sauce, Brussels sprouts, a piece of pumpkin pie, a piece of pecan pie which at 500 calories is the most caloric single serving on the menu, and with all that the total calorie count came NOWHERE NEAR 4500.

It came to 2,486.

And yes, that's a lot, but compared to 4500, doesn't seem like that much at all.

So there you have the key to a guilt-free feast. Just tell yourself, whatever I eat, there's probably someone who ate more. And there's no law that says you need to wipe the fog off the bathroom mirror. Or even have a bathroom mirror at all.

Dave Ross, KIRO Radio Talk Show Host
Dave Ross is co-host of The Ross & Burbank Show on KIRO Radio (weekdays 9-Noon) and never too far from the spotlight.
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Comments (7)


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  • William Lawn wrote...
    Happy Thanksgiving, Dave
    November 21, 2012 6:05 pm
    Still a load of calories and fat.

    Take a lot of road work to burn it off.

    Worth it though.

    Turkey

    MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!

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  • cdbtx wrote...
    Well I'm obligated to double down
    November 22, 2012 6:32 am
    Since we spend Thanksgiving Day with friends... I always stash a turkey at home for the day after and leftovers... It's always nice to visit friends, but there's nothing better than the smell of turkey in the oven filling the house..

    Happy Thanksgiving to home and hope everyone has a warm, safe holiday...and for heavens sake.. it's one day... eat... enjoy.. sleep... wakup.. workout... eat again.. :)

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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Well, Happy Thanksgiving, Dave, and all. The table isnt the only thing stuffed.
    November 22, 2012 6:43 am
    Actually, dinner is the best part of the day, so enjoy the over eating. A bout of pneumonia like I've just got over can sap things quick, so I actually NEED those 4500 calories. ... Besides, if you can keep a civil tongue with friends and family, the football is usually all over and a nice tryptophan coma awaits you.

    Unless, of course, you cut short that repast and have to hurry out to buy stuff. And for the past couple of years we get the good fortune on paying extra for folks to sell us stuff. Pick up your morning paper, should it still exist, and it will weight, like, 10 lbs - and have a PRICE of $2 !! Two Dollars vs a normal 50 or 75 cents. Because of the 20 lbs of adds. Extra price so we can reads ads from stores wanting our money.

    Makes sense, I suppose. Why we've paid money to go to gift shows with nothing but folks trying to sell us stuff for years. ... But, what's next? a cover charge at Safeway?

    I think I'll happily opt for that tryptophan coma.

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  • Snout wrote...
    Calories, fat, sugar, America!
    November 22, 2012 7:32 am
    And for the takers on this day, Thank me! But to be sure we should all be thankful that we were born in this gem of humanity.
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  • sohojo wrote...
    Hey Dave
    November 22, 2012 8:14 am
    Take a break and shut the heck up and have a nice Thanksagiving.
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  • clevesside wrote...
    I'm thankful....
    November 22, 2012 11:40 am
    .... the elections are over and the apocalypse/end of days/etc isn't happening. I can make like a guilt-free glutton today and live to tell about it......hmmm. Happy T-day to bloggers everywhere.
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  • clevesside wrote...
    And for Luke....
    November 22, 2012 11:42 am
    ...."drinks on the house!" in an empty bar. You take your opportunities when they come...
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