The holidays are a time when family and friends gather together, and food is usually a huge part of the celebration. Food is part of culture and heritage, and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, family recipes and ethnic or regional dishes are one of the things that makes holiday meals so special.

As a bariatric patient, Thanksgiving, and the weeks that follow, are intimidating. Food is a large part of the festivities and is nothing short of carb-filled goodness.

It is recommended that bariatric patients eat around 40 grams of carbs a day and aim for 60 to 80 grams of protein.

Based on the image below, if a patient were to eat 1 serving of each food item they would consume around 2,000 calories and 231 carbs. That is nearly 5 times the recommended amount of carbs that a bariatric patient should consume in a day!

We know that life happens and we want you to enjoy it. Yet we encourage you to take a look at these nutrition facts before piling your plate high with mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.

Understanding the calories and macros that make up each favorite Thanksgiving dish may help curb your carb count this Thanksgiving!

Also, remember to fill your plate with protein and veggies before loading up on the carbs.

We hope you all have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!