Healthy Twists on the Thanksgiving Feast
Between the appetizers, turkey, gravy, biscuits, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pies, and luscious leftovers that come with the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, it's not surprising many people gain a few pounds over the gluttonous three days. But there are plenty of ways to wholeheartedly celebrate and cut calories. Consider one or all of the following X tips, which can help you get through the holiday with plenty of flavor but far less fat.
Swap Mashed Potatoes for Mashed or Pureed Cauliflower
If you've never had pureed cauliflower, you probably don't know that it does a pretty good job of mimicking mashed potatoes-especially considering the latter is mostly a vehicle for the flavor of the gravy that usually accompanies it. Even better, it's a spectacularly high-protein, low-carbs, good-fiber option, which means you'll still be ahead of the game if you include milk, cream, or butter in your cauliflower mash.
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Skip the Skin
Try serving the turkey skin-free. Removing the skin drastically diminishes the amount of fat and cholesterol per serving and chances are, your guests won't even notice. And if you're a guest and the turkey's been presented with the skin, just quietly remove it before you begin eating. You'll save a boatload of calories better spent on some of the other delicious side dishes!
Freshen up the Green Bean Casserole
Yes, the rib-gripping, delicious green bean casserole is a classic, but it's also got a heck of a lot of calories and can be substituted with something fresher, healthier, and equally delicious. Like what? Fresh steamed or boiled string beans! Top them with butter and salt and they'll make a fantastic counterpoint to the heavy meal. Or sprinkle them with toasted almond slivers or fried onion strings for a little indulgence.
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Swap Candied Yams for Mashed Yams
Rather than reaching for canned yams and marshmallows this year, try baking them yourself and serving them mashed with a little butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon. After all, yams are naturally sweet. So you don't need to smother them in brown sugar. Plus, you'll feel better about indulging in dessert if you don't also have a side of it with dinner!
Ban the Bacon
Thanksgiving is the one time each year when cooks shamelessly use bacon to make their dishes more delicious. Think about it: Aunt Becky's stuffing has bacon in it, right? And the green beans Susan makes? Yep, those are big chunks of bacon floating in the green stalks. A few cooks even wrap their turkeys in bacon! (We're not kidding.) While bacon is admittedly yummy, it's a surefire way to add several hundred calories to your overall Thanksgiving caloric intake. Our suggestion? If a dish has bacon in it, skip it.
Offer Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Did you know that the average pie shell (or crust) has more than 1,000 calories? Eliminate it from the traditional dessert and you can have all the flavor with far less guilt. All you need to do is pour your favorite pumpkin pie filling into a pie plate nestled in a deep 15-by-10-inch baking pan, add one half inch of hot water to pan, and bake at 350˚ F for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Choose Either Cocktails or Dessert
Got will power? Use it here and decide whether to partake in a few cocktails or indulge in an after-dinner confection. If you only treat yourself to one or the other, you'll save a bunch of calories and feel better the following morning. But if you choose cocktails, make sure your lowered inhibitions don't overcome your strong will when the pumpkin pie is served!
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