Welcome back, health champions!👋

You've been eating well for weeks. You're feeling good. Then Thanksgiving arrives with three types of pie, marshmallow-topped casseroles, and your aunt insisting you try her "special" stuffing.

One meal won't tank your progress - but without a plan, Thursday becomes Friday becomes a whole weekend of leftovers.

Today's health guide gives you the exact playbook: which carbs to keep, which to skip, and the simple post-meal move that could drop blood sugar by 20-30 mg/dL.

No guilt. No deprivation. Just smart Thanksgiving prediabetes tips that let you enjoy the day.

P.S.

Our Prediabetes Holiday Guide is ready✨ — your playbook for enjoying the holidays without the glucose chaos. 

Pre-release starts tomorrow - check your emails tomorrow for your exclusive discount.

What is it?
Finally, a way to enjoy the holidays without wrecking your blood sugar or your sanity.

The Prediabetes Holiday Guide solves the biggest struggle for people with prediabetes: how to celebrate from Thanksgiving to New Year’s - and every cookie exchange, office party, and family feast in between without undoing months of progress. It gives you a complete, science-backed system to stay in control without restriction - including smart plate and dessert strategies, alcohol and sleep guides, travel and stress hacks, bounce-back recovery plans, 4-week prep checklists, printable trackers, and clear, evidence-based explanations that make every strategy easy to trust and follow.

You'll finish the season feeling steady, confident, and fully part of every celebration.

BEST FINDS
Celebrate the season while keeping balance in mind. Start with Skinny Turkey Gravy — rich and savory, minus the excess fat — and Healthy Cranberry Sauce made with chia and real fruit. Add crunch and color with Maple Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Pecans for a fiber-filled side that feels festive. For dessert, try Swirly Cheesecake Pumpkin Bars or a velvety Avocado Chocolate Mousse. Want something lighter? Pumpkin Greek Yogurt Parfait hits the sweet spot — creamy, protein-packed, and balanced. Holiday comfort, reimagined for better balance and steady energy.

Thanksgiving Prediabetes Tips: Eat What You Love - Without the Glucose Chaos

If you missed Part 1, we covered the essential pre-Thanksgiving prep—including the protein-rich breakfast strategy, pre-meal movement, and why sleep matters for blood sugar control.

Picture this: you did everything right leading up to the big day. Good sleep, balanced breakfast, morning walk. You're ready.

Then the food hits the table.

Stuffing. Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows. Warm dinner rolls. Three pies. Wine flowing. And Aunt Carol's pushing that serving spoon: "Just a little—I made it special."

You promise yourself "just a taste" of everything. By meal's end, your plate looks like a sampler platter, you've had two glasses of wine, you're uncomfortably full, and you're already planning tomorrow's guilt spiral.

Let's fix this with a prediabetes holiday plan that actually works.

The Smart Indulgence Mindset for Prediabetes Thanksgiving

Deprivation says: "I can't have any of the foods I love."

Deliberate enjoyment says: "I'm choosing exactly which foods bring me the most joy, and I'm savoring them fully."

Your permission slip: One meal doesn't define your A1C. Your A1C reflects three months of daily choices-not one Thursday in November.

Your goal for Thanksgiving meal? Enjoy yourself while using smart strategies that minimize blood sugar chaos. Not perfection. Strategy.

Strategy #1: Pick Your Carbs, Don't Ban Them

You're not skipping all carbs at Thanksgiving. But you don't need to eat every carb that crosses your path.

The Carb Hierarchy: Before dinner, mentally rank the carbs: "can't miss this" versus "could skip it."

• Grandmother's legendary stuffing? Keep it.

• Store-bought rolls you don't care about? Skip them.

Make it practical: Choose your top two carbs. Take a reasonable portion of each. Skip the fillers. This is one of the most effective Thanksgiving prediabetes tips for maintaining control while still enjoying the meal.

Pair strategically: When you eat carbs, add protein, fat, or fiber:

• Sweet potato casserole with pecans

• Stuffing alongside turkey

• Pie with a handful of nuts afterward

These pairings prevent rapid glucose spikes.

The Sugar Sleuth Challenge:
Which has more sugar - pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce?

Most people guess pie. But cranberry sauce often wins, packing 20-25 grams of sugar per serving versus 15-20 grams in pie. You expect pie to be dessert. You don't expect a side dish to be a sugar bomb.

Strategy #2: Watch the Hidden Sugars

The biggest blood sugar culprits aren't on your main plate. They're lurking in sauces, glazes, and drinks. Any solid prediabetes holiday plan must account for these hidden sources.

Common Hidden Sugar Bombs:

• Cranberry sauce: 20-30 grams per serving

• Glazed ham or turkey: 10-15 grams per serving

• Sweet salad dressings: 5-8 grams per two tablespoons

• Cocktails: 15-30 grams per drink

• Sweetened beverages: 25-40 grams per glass

Simple Swaps:

• Instead of canned cranberry sauce: Make fresh cranberry-orange relish with minimal sweetener. Cut sugar by 50-75%.

• Instead of glazed protein: Choose plain roasted turkey or ham with gravy.

• Instead of sweet dressings: Use olive oil and vinegar.

• If you drink alcohol: Choose dry wine, champagne, or spirits with soda water. Avoid sweet wines and sugary cocktails.

Read: Slash Your Hidden Sugar Intake by 300%

Strategy #3: Manage Beverages Wisely

Holiday drinks can pack as many carbs as a slice of pie—without the satisfaction.

The Battle Plan:

Hydration First: Start with 8-16 ounces of water before eating.

If You Drink Alcohol: Alcohol causes initial blood sugar spikes, then potential drops hours later. It also lowers inhibitions around food.

Critical guidelines:

• Never drink on an empty stomach

• Alternate every alcoholic drink with water

• Limit to 1-2 drinks maximum

• Avoid sugary mixers and sweet wines

Strategy #4: Practice Mindful Eating

The game-changer: Your brain needs 20 minutes to register fullness. Eat quickly, and you'll consume hundreds of extra calories before realizing you're full.

Key strategies:

Sit down for every bite. No standing or grazing. This one rule dramatically cuts mindless consumption.

Put your fork down between bites. This automatically slows your pace.

Pause midway through your plate. Check in: Am I still hungry, or eating just because food is there?

Focus on connection. When you're focused on relationships, food becomes part of the experience—not the whole experience.

Strategy #5: Take a Post-Meal Walk

Post-meal movement pulls sugar out of your blood and into muscle cells. Research shows post-meal walks can reduce blood sugar spikes by up to 30%. This simple step is essential in any prediabetes holiday plan.

Make It a Gratitude Walk: Turn it into family tradition. Walk around the neighborhood and have each person share something they're grateful for.

The goal: 10-20 minutes of light movement within 30-60 minutes after finishing your meal.

Strategy #6: Have a Recovery Protocol (Without Guilt)

One meal won't derail your progress. What matters is having a clear recovery plan as part of your overall Thanksgiving prediabetes tips.

Your Friday Reset Plan:

• Morning: Start with a protein-rich breakfast

• Hydration: Drink at least 64-80 ounces of water throughout the day.

• Fiber: Load up on non-starchy vegetables and leafy greens.

• Movement: Return to your regular exercise routine.

What NOT to Do the Friday After Thanksgiving

• Don't skip meals to "make up" for Thursday

• Don't turn leftovers into an all-weekend grazing marathon

• Don't beat yourself up with guilt—stress raises blood sugar

Think of Friday as Data Collection:
Check your blood sugar Friday morning.
Notice how you feel.
This isn't punishment—it's information for December holidays.

The Freedom Formula

Celebrate → Reset → Repeat.

Remember: This is Part 2 of your prediabetes holiday system. Part 1 built your foundation - now you have the day-of strategies. Together, they work.

Coming soon: The complete Prediabetes Holiday Guide drops tomorrow with exclusive discounts for our readers. Everything you need for the entire season—in one place.

Wrap-Up: You've Got This

Thanksgiving with prediabetes doesn't mean sitting sadly at the table. It means celebrating with intention, using smart strategies, and having a clear recovery protocol.

You can enjoy the sweet potatoes. You can savor the pie. And still protect your blood sugar.

Here's to a Thanksgiving that fills your plate, your heart, and your memories—not your glucose meter.

Now it's your turn: After you try these Thanksgiving prediabetes tips, share your experience. What worked? What surprised you? Your insights might be exactly what another reader needs to hear.

Have questions? We got answers. Email [email protected]