In just a few days, you’ll be loading up your Thanksgiving dinner plate with enough vittles to fill a pilgrim hat right to the brim – turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole and mashed potatoes. All drowning in a sea of rich and creamy gravy.
Then there’s dessert. Lots of dessert, of course. Crowned with whipped cream.
With all of these delectable dishes, you’ll also be loading up on a super-sized serving of calories. Thousands of calories. That’s right – thousands.
The average Thanksgiving dinner can easily top 4,500 calories. More than twice the average daily calorie count. But how can you still gobble up the food-filled festivities without popping your pants buttons.
Here are some alternatives for healthy Thanksgiving meals:
- Make gravy with fat-free chicken broth or fruit juice
- Instead of oil and butter in baked goods, use apple sauce or fruit purees
- Replace creamy green bean casserole with steamed vegetables
- Load up your stuffing with more vegetables and fruits
- Substitute cream or mayonnaise with low-fat milk or yogurt
- Serve fresh or poached fruit along with traditional dessert pies
Here are some delicious, lower calorie recipes:
- Roasted Turkey – http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/herb_roasted_turkey.html
- Mashed Potatoes – http://www.skinnykitchen.com/recipes/incredible-skinny-roasted-garlic-mashed-potatoes/
- Stuffing – http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=783315
- Apple Cider Gravy – http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=794356
- Roasted Vegetables – http://cooking.jeffersonhospital.org/Health-eCooking-HEC/By-Course/Side-Dishes/Roasted-Vegetables-Recipe.html
- Pumpkin Pie – http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/low-cal-pumpkin-pie
- Whipped Cream – http://lowcaloriecooking.about.com/od/desserts/r/lowcaltopping.htm
With just a few of these simple and easy alternatives, you’ll still be able to savor the holiday flavors – in a much healthier way. No one will really notice the difference. Except maybe your waist line.
Sources
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/11/20/is-a-thanksgiving-dinner-really-4500-calories-maybe-not/
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/10-tips-for-a-thinner-thanksgiving
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1408&page=2
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Nancy Fox11 years ago