Just because this is a health blog doesn’t mean we enjoy Thanksgiving dinner any less than the average eater. It’s almost impossible to resist a warm slice of apple pie or a big glass of wine to go along with that gravy-topped turkey. But I think we can all agree that post-meal, our bloated stomachs are also full of a little regret.
If Turkey Trots aren’t really your thing, there are some creative ways—including household chores—to burn off your favorite Thanksgiving foods. We picked some of the most popular dishes and found out what it takes to burn off all of the calories. Now get moving!
1 slice of pumpkin pie: 320 calories
How to burn it off: It’ll take you 30 minutes of jumping rope to burn off just one slice of pumpkin pie—and believe us, jumping rope is no walk in the park. Here’s a tip: Jump rope during commercials breaks in the Thanksgiving Day parade or football game.
1 glass of red wine: 123 calories
How to burn it off: If Mom wants the house squeaky clean for the big meal, offer to vacuum. Not only will you burn calories lugging that thing up and down the stairs, but you’ll lose 152 calories overall if you vacuum for 30 minutes.
1 serving of stuffing: 352 calories (including almost 17 grams of fat)
How to burn it off: While the turkey’s cooking and the potatoes are baking, rope the whole family in for a game of touch football. Running around for 38 minutes will burn 362 calories, more than enough to save you from one cup of stuffing—without the gravy.
1 serving of mashed potatoes: 210 calories
How to burn it off: Raking leaves may not sound like the ideal way to spend your Thanksgiving vacation, but it sure is a calorie buster. Lend Mom and Pops a hand and clean up the yard while they’re holed up in the kitchen. Forty minutes burns 205 calories.
1 ounce of turkey breast with skin: 45 calories
How to burn it off: Taking a leisurely 20-minute walk around the neighborhood after dinner will help you burn almost 60 calories.
1 slice of apple pie: 411 calories (and more than 19 grams of fat)
How to burn it off: Offer to clean up—thoroughly—after dinner. It’ll take an hour and a half of mopping the kitchen floor to burn those 400-plus calories.
Want more calorie-burning stats? We recommend Fitness and Self magazines’ calorie-burn calculators.
