Healthful Holiday Eating 2014: Thanksgiving

Greeting from Dawn, down in Florida 🙂

Although this will be my first holiday season down here, I have been breaking from traditional Thanksgiving dinner fare for the past several years.

Why, you ask? 

1) Are you aware, that anually, Americans may average a minimum of one pound of weight gain during the holiday season? Now, that may not sound like much, but think about it in terms of if  you gain an extra one or more pounds year after year.

2) I enjoy serving dishes that feed the craving and the senses that we tend to seek to satisfy and have come to associate with Thanksgiving meals, without overeating. Generally, the more satisfying a food item is can lead to decreased portions.

3) While I make no claims to my Thanksgiving menus being “low glycemic”, I am generally leaning toward decreasing our  carb intake (fully understanding that wine counts toward carb and glycemic “loads”).

Consequently, this can lead to decreased intake of fat and calories.

4) I also seek the ability to be in control of the various components and therefor ingredients in the dishes that I am preparing.  This further lends to what I mentioned in #3

5) I am opting to use as many ingredients that I already have in my kitchen as I can.

I just so happen to have a lot of fresh basil in my garden and I have been saving bread ends and pieces that have not been used (they are in my freezer) and you will see how this applies as fo

As you will see below, we eliminated rolls, traditional stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy.  Rather than the traditional sweet potato casserole, my mom in law is making a Sweet Potato Stuffing (I will see if I can get it from her to share later).

What, you are wondering about hors d’oeuvres?  No, I did not forget!  I am going with a

Tomato Basil & Mozzarella Skewers

to replace a dinner salad and to provide a little protein.

I will prepare breakfast the night before:

healthy crustless quiche

We plan to keep ourselves well nourished before the big meal!

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TIP: Eat healthy and well  and in moderation during the day. 

You do not want to slow down your metabolism or starve yourself before you eat your dinner. 

If you are nourished before the big dinner, you will enjoy it more and metabolize better and you will eat less!

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Thanksgiving Menu 2014

(being prepared by my mom in law)

Roasted Turkey

Sweet potato stuffing

(being prepared by my me)

Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole with a Cream of Mushroom Substitute Recipe

and a Homemade Savory Onion Crumble

Maple Pear Bread Pudding

Wine: I am leaning toward a Rose’

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What are you making this year?

Are you planning to cut back on some items in order to transition to healthier choices?

 

We would love to hear from you!