As dinner plates get filled this holiday season, it’s important to decide what to, and what not to add to your meal.

Health experts say moderation is key.

“Make sure you choose a little bit of everything you want and savor those foods you enjoy. Don’t fill your plate with foods you don’t like to eat,” says OSF HealthCare registered dietitian Sara Umphfleet. “When referring to moderation, also think about alcohol. It’s typically one drink for women and two drinks for men is the definition of moderation. It’s important that if you’re going to have alcohol, to have a glass of water every time you have a drink, because alcohol can really dehydrate you.”

Surrounded by holiday staples like turkey, casseroles, stuffing and more, it’s an easy time to overeat and break any healthy eating habits. Umphfleet shares some ways you can combat this.

“If you know it’s going to be some time after breakfast before you have a Thanksgiving meal, I recommend people have a healthy snack,” Umphfleet says. “Something like yogurt or nuts and some fruit to go with it. Then you’re not overeating at your Thanksgiving meal.”

Umphfleet says healthy eating choices on Thanksgiving Day need to start in the morning.

“You have to have a balanced breakfast with protein and carbohydrates. This can be something like whole grain toast with peanut butter. Choose a hard-boiled egg or scrambled eggs and have some berries,” Umphfleet says. “We know people tend to overeat if they don’t have breakfast in the morning.”

While that relative you haven’t seen since last Thanksgiving might have whipped up that casserole dish you secretly dislike, Umphfleet says it’s important to only fill up your plate with foods you do like.

“I don’t necessarily focus on what we shouldn’t be eating, but what we should be eating. It’s good to survey your table before you sit down and eat. Take a look at what is on the table, especially if you’re doing a buffet, potluck style. Choose healthier options like extra vegetables, corn, peas and potatoes. Make sure you have appropriate portion sizes. Also fill your plate up with a meat product,” she says.

The battle for healthy eating doesn’t end at the conclusion of the Thanksgiving feast. Now you have a new problem on your hands, leftovers. And while you may usually use the eye and smell test for leftovers in the fridge, there are some important safety tips to keep in mind.

“It’s very important that leftovers should only be saved roughly three to four days. They need to be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees,” Umphfleet says. “One in 6 Americans each year get food borne illness or food poisoning according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”

The holidays are also a common time for kitchen fires. For Thanksgiving, you may be using the stove, microwave and oven simultaneously.

“With stovetop fires, you’ll want to take a lid and cover the fire and turn the stovetop off,” Umphfleet says. “It’s important that if you’re cooking things on the stove or in the oven, that you don’t leave them. You need to be attentive and stay nearby. Make sure you don’t have things out and about next to your stove such as potholders, oven mitts and wrappings. You need to move everything out of the way when you’re cooking. If you have something like an oven fire, you need to turn the oven off and keep the door closed. It’s the same with your microwaves, turn it off and keep the door closed until everything cools.”

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With that comes an increased amount of burn hazards like hot ovens, stovetops, deep fryers and more that you need to look out for, even more so during the busy holiday season.

"If you're deep frying a turkey, I would not have my child anywhere near it, the splashing can get them. They're at a different level from the items," says Tinsley Anderson, MD, a pediatric surgeon with OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois. “So, things on the stove can get pulled down, we see a lot of scald burns on the face, chest and abdomen from kids pulling stuff down on themselves.”

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends always staying in the kitchen while you’re cooking to keep a closer eye on the food. The NFPA says to always be alert while cooking and keep anything that can catch fire (oven mitts, wooden utensils, towels etc.) away from your stovetop.

Some burns are worse than others, that’s why they’re broken up into different degrees.

"There are three main degrees of burn, first being like a light sunburn. The second degree can have some blistering and be a little deeper. Third degree, the most severe type of burn, can look white and be hard and firm. Because the skin and tissue underneath it is completely burnt," Dr. Anderson says. 

The dressing of the wound stage is the most important part of treating a wound, Dr. Anderson adds.

"I would say no alcohols or any abrasive, hydrogen peroxide-type cleansing agents should be used to treat burns," Dr. Anderson says. “In the emergency department we use soap and water. Something very simple, regular hand soap.”

Burns from hot food and drinks aren’t solely for the outside of our bodies. Research shows drinking really hot drinks can increase your risk for esophageal and gastric cancers.

If there are severe burns, bring the person to the emergency department (ED) and the medical team will take care of it there. 

Dr. Anderson says most cases the ED sees in kids are first- and second-degree burns. Most burns get cleaned up in the ED so the patient is comfortable, and the medical team will then teach them dressing care when they go home.

Larger, deeper and more severe burns can become infected, because bacteria live on the skin, but this is pretty rare. Dr. Anderson says Neosporin is good to put on the wound for comfort and keep the burn from sticking to things like clothes.

To learn more about burn care, visit the OSF HealthCare website.

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When kids are in school and loved ones are gathering for the holidays, viruses tend to make the rounds. 

One common virus in school-age children is RSV.

What is RSV?

“RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a respiratory illness that can impact anyone of any age around the world,” says Kinnera Are, MD, a pediatrician with OSF HealthCare. “In our population, the most at-risk would be infants and children under 2 years of age.”

How is RSV spread?

“It’s spread by nasal secretions, coughing, and sneezing respiratory droplets. It does tend to increase around the holiday season,” Dr. Are says,” because we’re around other people and we’re in gatherings with family and friends.”

How do we protect ourselves from RSV?

“Stay home if you’re not feeling well and you’re spreading respiratory droplets. Make sure to wash your hands regularly and frequently,” Dr. Are adds. “School-age kids tend to be the most hard-hit of all these kids, only because they’re around other children. The biggest way we can protect those kids in the winter is teaching good hand hygiene, making sure we’re teaching them to wash their hands really well.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two RSV vaccines for adults 60 years and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends adults in this age range should speak with their medical provider about if the vaccine is right for them.

Additionally, the FDA also approved two options for infants and toddlers. The CDC has signed off on a monoclonal antibody for all infants up to 8 months old, born during their first RSV season. If your child is at high risk for severe disease or severely immunocompromised, they can receive the antibody between 8 and 19 months.

Lastly, an RSV vaccine for pregnant women has been approved. Check with your medical provider about availability. The hope would be for the vaccine to provide pregnant women with antibodies they could pass to the fetus and protect newborn babies from birth to 6 months from severe RSV.

How can kids build immunity against viruses?

Two main ways: Healthy sleeping and healthy eating.

RSV is a virus and tends to just need to run its course. Dr. Are says while there is no prescription medicine to treat RSV, there are multiple over-the-counter solutions that can minimize the symptoms.

“We recommend Tylenol or ibuprofen for fevers and fussiness. Kids can have honey for those with a cough, as long as they’re over 1 year of age. Also make sure to have kids blow their noses and suction out the liquid from their noses if they have congestion or a runny nose,” Dr. Are adds.

Who else is at higher risk of RSV?

“The elderly and pregnant women are at higher risk for having more severe RSV infections,” Dr. Are says. “In children, the other populations that would be more at risk is anyone born premature, babies born during this RSV winter season, and anyone that has breathing problems or heart problems.”

Dr. Are says RSV can last anywhere from a couple days to a few weeks.

OSF OnCall offers a remote patient monitoring program for infants and toddlers with RSV and other respiratory viruses. The no-cost service connects those at home with medical specialists virtually, providing education and digital prompts to discuss signs/symptoms over a 10-day period.

The OSF OnCall RSV program is available to anyone in Illinois or Michigan. Patients must have a positive RSV test or diagnosis to qualify. To learn more about the program, click here.

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But the holiday season can also be a time that heightens unwanted stress. 

According to the American Psychological Association (APA) – nearly 90% of people feel some stress during the holidays for several reasons. Finances, the death of a loved one and potentially family conflict. 

This year could be especially tough given the recent presidential election. APA research found the election was a major stress point for 69% of people who responded.

Before coming together this year, Therasa Yehling says families should have a plan. Yehling is the manager of OSF Strive's Trauma Recovery Center in Rockford, Illinois and a licensed social worker. 

“Let's talk about fun things. Let's talk about how your kids are doing, how your parents are doing. Really talking about things that bring people together. I think that's important to concentrate on," Yehling says. 

If your family has engaged in heated discussions during past holidays, reevaluate your plan. Maybe this year you decide to only spend a couple of hours at your gathering, instead of all day.

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Fall doesn’t officially arrive until Saturday, but pumpkin is busting out all over. The perennial pumpkin spice lattes started emerging earlier than ever, at the start of August at retail outlets. According to tech platform Taboola, 83% more people are interested in pumpkin spice lattes this year compared to 2022.

If you can’t find your favorite food already laced with pumpkin spice, there is spray-on pumpkin oil. And, for people who really want to be healthy, there’s pumpkin flavored kale chips and kombucha.

OSF HealthCare Dietician Kaela Ketcham says be careful because pumpkin flavor is often added to sugary products.

“You do want to be cautious about what pumpkin spice products you are buying because one, they may not contain any pumpkin at all and two they might just contain a lot of sugar.”

That’s true. Many grocery stores started stocking pumpkin-flavored bakery items in July, possibly pushing the season because summer heatwaves made people ready for cooler weather and that is usually signaled by pumpkin-flavored products.

Ketcham says pumpkin is a highly nutrient-dense food. It is rich in vitamins and minerals but low in calories. Also, pumpkins seeds can be a good protein snack because they are high in fiber and make you feel full longer, so they suppress hunger pangs. Because of all of its great nutritional qualities, Ketcham suggests talking to your grocer’s produce manager about stocking edible pumpkins or look for canned, no sugar-added pumpkin puree and find ways you can incorporate the orange gourd into your diet all year long.The seeds also contain serotonin which can help promote better sleep and their monounsaturated fatty acids help lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol in the blood.

You can find pumpkin infused protein powder, especially in nutrition stores. But, Ketchum says it’s better to go with the real thing.

She suggests, “If you’re making a smoothie, you can always add always add a little bit, two tablespoon or so of pureed pumpkin. Even if you’re making pumpkin spice lattes at home, you can even add a couple of tablespoons of real pumpkin to get that depth of the pumpkin flavor to have it a little bit healthier, not as much sugar and actually get more pumpkin than what they use in a store.”

You might be surprised to know pumpkin is a fruit and contains 94 percent water. That is what makes it low in calories. Ketcham adds it’s also great for a body’s immune system because it’s high in beta-carotene which your body turns into Vitamin A which boosts your ability to fight infections.

Ketcham recommends, “You can also incorporate it in your oatmeal. You can put it in soups and stews and chilies. I saw a recipe for pasta shells. You stuff pasta shells with pumpkin and cheeses. You really get the benefit of pumpkin all year round without having to put it in a baked good and then putting all that sugar on top of it.”

Fun fact about pumpkins, 85% of the processed pumpkin in the United States comes from Libby's plant in Morton, Illinois.

Check out this list of 9 reasons to incorporate more pumpkin in your diet.

Here is a healthy recipe for Savory Pumpkin Ravioli from Explore Health

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 24 wonton wrappers
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Chopped parsley

Combine 1 cup pumpkin, 1/3 cup Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
Spoon about 2 teaspoons pumpkin mixture into center of each wonton wrapper.
Moisten edges of dough with water; bring 2 opposite sides together to form a triangle, pinching edges to seal.
Place ravioli into a large saucepan of boiling water with 1 teaspoon salt.
Cook 7 minutes, and drain in a colander.
Place 1/2 cup broth and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in pan; bring to a boil.
Add ravioli, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with parsley.

*This recipe has less than 200 calories per serving.

Video with Registered Dietitian Kaela Ketcham

B-roll for pumpkins year round