8 Helpful Tips To Have That Healthier Thanksgiving
Yes, Thanksgiving’s all about that great & delicious meal that you’ll be eating. All those yummy desserts and of course that roasted turkey centerpiece with all the trimmings. Who could resist those?
Well even if you’re going to be eating all those treats it doesn’t mean that you’ll ruin your goal of a lifestyle that is more fit and healthy. Here are some very good tips that you might want to remember so that you’ll be eating healthy during Thanksgiving.
1. Use lesser bread & more vegetables in your stuffing
Substitute a portion of your bread for onions, fruits (dried apples & cranberries), celery or onions. This 1 step alone will lessen calories that you put into your stuffing.
2. Add in more pumpkin
Pumpkins are one of the healthy components of a Thanksgiving celebration. Canned ones are high in vitamin content more than the fresh ones are. Go add in pumpkin into your mashed up potatoes, breads, soups and even in your pie.
3. Make sure you won’t forget your vegetables
Take note of all those vegetables in season and try and incorporate them into the Thanksgiving dishes. You could play around with beans, squash, yams and sweet potatoes and play up your dishes with these vegetables in season.
4. Never rush
Don’t eat really fast as if there was no tomorrow. Be sure to savor the food you are eating so that you will experience that feeling of fullness once you are really full. If you eat fast, you might tend to ignore those feelings of fullness and get to eat more. There is always tomorrow for you for enjoying those leftovers. So enjoy the meal.
5. Indulge fun and sporty activities
It would be best to be active during this season. You could go out & have that nice long walk, play touch football with friends and family or you could just ride around the neighborhood with your bike. You could burn up calories which will really help in reducing your calorie ratio so you won’t add those few extra pounds.
6. Eat pies moderately
Thanksgiving celebrations will always have delicious pies. Don’t eat too much pie. It would be healthier if you eat those pecan and pumpkin pies because they are lesser in calories.
7. Lower fat content in your homemade gravy
If you have a gadget that separates fat, then use it. Or you could refrigerate those juices from your turkey before you make them into gravy so you can take out the fatty layer before you make it into gravy. With this method you save yourself and your family from lots of fat in the process and will make your homemade gravy a lot less greasy.
8. Have lots of FUN!
Thanksgiving only happens once in every year. Be sure to have lots of fun with your family & your family traditions then enjoy the Thanksgiving dinner meal
Shaved Fennel and Apple Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
1/4 c of juice (freshly squeezed lemon)
2 Tbsps of tarragon (fresh); chopped
1/3 c of olive oil (extra-virgin)
1/3 c of canola oil (or vegetable oil)
Salt
Black pepper (freshly ground)
2 pcs of apples (Granny Smith); cored, peeled, halved then cut thin slices
2 pcs of fennel (bulbs); cut into thin slices
Instructions:
Combine tarragon, (lemon) juice, and the two kinds of oil inside a bowl; whisk thoroughly. Season it with pepper or salt.
Place apples and fennels inside a mixing bowl. Pour in vinaigrette. Toss well.
>> Shaved Fennel and Apple Salad Recipe
Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients:
8 pcs of potatoes; sliced thinly
1 can of soup (Cheddar cheese)
1 c of cheese (Velveeta); chunked
1-1/2 c of cheese (sharp Cheddar); grated
12 oz of evaporated filled milk
Pepper
Salt
Instructions:
Spray a vegetable (cooking) spray on a crockpot. Fill in potatoes (half full). then layer (1/2 can) soup, (1/2 cup) Velveeta, (3/4 cup) Cheddar, and (1/2 can) milk.
Season with salt & pepper. Layer (1/2 can) soup, (1/2 cup) Velveeta, (3/4 cup) Cheddar, and (1/2 can) milk. Cook above high heat for six hours. Add milk if needed.
>> Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Alphabet Turkey Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
1 medium can of tomatoes (16 oz)
2 Tsps of seasoning (Italian)
1/4 tsp of pepper
2 c of turkey; cooked and sliced into half-inch cubes
1 c of carrots; sliced thinly
4 c of turkey stock
1/2 tsp of salt
1 c of chopped onion
4 c of cabbage; sliced thinly
1/2 c of alphabet pasta
Instructions:
In a large saucepan, combine broth, seasoning, pepper, salt, carrots, onions, and tomatoes over high-heat, then let it boil.
Adjust to low-heat then simmer for 10-15 mins or ’til carrots become soft but firm. Have pasta, turkey & cabbage added and boil for 5-10 mins more or ’til pasta becomes al dente and cabbage becomes tender.
>>Alphabet Turkey Soup Recipe
Basic Turkey Gravy Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 tsp of salt
3 Tbsps of flour
3 Tbsps of fat (poultry drippings)
1 liver (turkey)
1/2 tsp of salt
1 stalk of celery; cut into chunks
1 onion; cut into chunks
1 carrot; cut into chunks
1 pack of turkey giblets (heart, neck and gizzard)
Instructions:
Place heart, neck, veggies and gizzard inside a kitchen pot with water. Bring it to boil. Season with salt. Put lid back on and gently simmer for forty five minutes.
Include the turkey liver then cook for fiften minutes more. Take out the vegetables then the meat then strain the broth using a fine sieve. Set broth aside.
After you finish roasting your turkey, remove turkey from roasting tray. Pour one cup of broth into your roasting tray. Add the fat drippings.
Swirl this mixture. Let it stand for five minutes ’till the fat drippings settle above. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of this fat onto a heated pan.
Discard the left over drippings but still reserve the broth from tray. Meanwhile add salt and flour to you fat drippings then cook until it thickens and turns light brown.
Gradually add the broth in your saucepan, constantly stirring to prevent lumps. Boil mixture until it resembles gravy.
>> Basic Turkey Gravy Recipe