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
Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 c of sour cream (dairy)
1/4 c of milk
1/4 c of mayonnaise
1 tsp of garlic; minced
1/2 tsp of Worcestershire
1/8 tsp of sugar
1/8 tsp of white pepper (ground)
Cayenne pepper
3 pcs of lettuce heads (Boston); torn, rinsed, then drained
1 pc of sweet onion (Vidalia, small); peeled then sliced thinly
6 oz of mushrooms (fresh); sliced thinly
11 oz of oranges (Mandarin, canned); drained
Black pepper
Salt
Instructions:
Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, milk, Worcestershire, sugar, cayenne and white peppers inside a bowl; mix thoroughly. This can be stored inside an airtight container inside the refrigerator.
Combine the vegetables on a bowl; toss with the chilled dressing. Sprinkle pepper, salt or add some croutons on salad if preferred.
>> Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe
Turkey Croquettes Recipe
Ingredients:
2 c of diced turkey
1 c of croquette sauce
1 beaten egg
3/4 c of bread crumbs
3 Tbsps of butter
1 c of milk
5 Tbsps of sifted flour
1/4 tsp of celery-flavored salt
1/2 tsp of steak sauce
1/4 tsp of lemon-flavored juice
1 tsp of onion; grated
1/8 tsp of pepper
1/4 tsp of salt
Instructions:
Combine turkey w/ sauce. Season w/ pepper and salt to taste. Form into small balls then dip them into crumbs, beaten egg, finally to crumbs and then deep fry. Pour rest of sauce evenly over the balls then serve while hot.
For Croquette Sauce: Start w/ melting butter, then add in flour. Mix very well and add in milk, celery sauce, juice, steak sauce, onion, salt & pepper. Cook stirring from time to time ’til thickened.
>> Turkey Croquettes Recipe
Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients:
4 pieces of sweet potatoes (medium); remove the skin and cut to cubes
1 Tablespoon of butter (unsalted)
6 Tablespoons of sugar (brown)
4 Tablespoons of milk
1 teaspoon of cinnamon (ground)
Instructions:
Boil the water and cook the potatoes in it till soft. Once cooked, remove the potatoes then place inside a bowl and mash them.
Add milk and butter; stir thoroughly. Add cinnamon and sugar; stir thoroughly. Spoon mashed potato on a bowl and dust cinnamon on top.
>> Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp of poppy seeds
2 Tbsps of sesame seeds
1/2 c of olive oil
1/2 c of sugar (white)
1/4 c of vinegar (white)
1/4 tsp of Worcestershire
1/4 tsp of paprika
1 Tbsp of dried onion; minced
10 oz of spinach (fresh); rinsed, drained and chopped
1/4 c of almonds (slivered); toasted
4 c of strawberries (fresh); sliced
Instructions:
Combine two kinds of seeds, oil, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, onion, and paprika inside a bowl; whisk thoroughly and place inside the refrigerator till chilled.
Combine strawberries, almonds. and spinach. Pour over the chilled dressing and toss. Serve.
>> Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe
Squash Casserole Recipe
Ingredients:
4 c of cooked squash (yellow crookneck)
1 pc of onion (medium)
1/2 tsp of pepper
1/2 c of butter (or margarine)
1 tsp of salt
2 c of crackers (Cheezit); crushed
2 c of cheese (Cheddar); shredded
1 c of milk (or heavy cream)
Instructions:
Cook squash, butter, onion, pepper, and salt till squash tenders. Mix in crackers (save 2/4 cup), cheese (save 3/4 cup), and milk.
Transfer onto a medium-sized casserole then top the rest of cheese and crackers. Bake for half an hour at 350 degrees F.
>> Squash Casserole Recipe
Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe
Ingredients:
1 pack of spaghetti (uncooked, 16 oz)
1/2 c of flour (all-purpose)
2 c of milk
4 c of turkey; cooked and chopped
1/2 c of butter
3 c of chicken broth
1 & 2/3 c of grated cheese (Parmesan)
Instructions:
Prepare oven. Heat it to 350 degrees F. Grease lightly one medium casserole (or baking) dish.
Boil lightly-salted water in a pot. Add in spaghetti then cook it for 8-10 mins or ’til firm. Drain at once and arrange on prepared bake pan.
In saucepan, melt your butter over mid-heat. Add in all-purpose flour. Pour broth & milk in. Cook & stir ’til mixture boils. Add 1 & 1/3 c of cheese, then remove pan from the heat.
Combine broth mix and your turkey w/ spaghetti. Spread rest of cheese all over. Bake it for an hour or ’til light-browned surface.
>> Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe
Green Chili Turkey Enchiladas Recipe
Ingredients:
3 c of milk
3/4 tsp of dried mustard
1/4 tsp of pepper
2 small cans of green chillies (4 oz); chopped
10 pcs flour tortillas (8-inch sized)
4.5 Tbsps of flour
1/2 tsp of salt
1 c of low fat cheese (Monterey Jack); shredded
2 c of turkey; cooked
Veggie cooking spray
Instructions:
In saucepan placed over mid-heat, mix together pepper, flour, salt, mustard and milk. Cook for 5-6 mins or ’til sauce thickens. Stir cheese in and allow to cook ’til fully melted.
Set aside a cup of cheese mixture. You can add a can of chilies into the rest of the sauce. Separately combine remaining chilies can, reserved part of cheese mixture & turkey in mixing bowl.
Spread one-fourth cup of turkey-mixture on every tortilla then roll it up. Arrange tortillas w/ seam-side-down into a 9×3-inch bake dish. Coat w/ veggie spray.
Do the same procedure for the rest of the tortillas. Have remaining turkey sauce spread over your tortillas. Afterward, bake it inside 350 degree F oven for 20 mins or ’til bubbly and hot.
>> Green Chili Turkey Enchiladas Recipe
Creamed Turkey Recipe
Ingredients:
3 Tbsps of butter
3 Tbsps of flour
1/2 c of hot turkey broth
4 c of boiled turkey; diced
Celery-flavored salt
3/4 c of mushrooms; sliced
1.5 c of milk
1 jar of pimiento (2 oz); diced
Salt
Instructions:
Melt 3 Tbsps butter in saucepan over mid-heat. Add and saute the mushrooms. Combine flour, then stir ’til smoothened.
Pour slowly broth (or stock) and milk, constantly stirring ’til bubbly and thick. Blend in pimiento, celery-flavored salt, turkey and salt. Then, cook ’til heated well.
>> Cream Turkey Recipe
Fruited Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients:
8 ozs of pineapple, crushed & drained
40 ozs of sweet potatoes (cooked); drained, peeled then mashed
1/4 c of bourbon
1/4 c of sugar (brown)
1/4 c of raisins (golden)
1/4 c of coconut; shredded
1/3 c of walnuts; chopped
1 tsp of salt
2 tsps of pumpkin pie spice
Cooking spray (vegetable)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven at (350 degrees F). Spray a casserole pan (or dish) with the (cooking) spray.
Combine potatoes, bourbon, pineapple, raisins, sugar, spice, salt, coconut, and walnuts; pour onto the pan. Bake for forty mins.
>> Fruited Sweet Potatoes Recipe