Woohoo! Thanksgiving is next week! Thanksgiving is not a national holiday in the country where I live (Micronesia) but our family, being half American, always celebrates it anyway. As there are quite a bit of Americans on the island these days, the stores usually stock turkeys this time of year and some of the other trimmings as well. So I’m gearing up for our holiday meal, I’m sure you all are as well. But do we have to make it “unhealthiest meal of the year”? Let’s pick the menu apart and see what we can do to make it healthier.
Turkey! The start of the show. Turkey is a healthy food, one of the healthiest meats there is. So why do we feel the need to take a perfectly good food and make it bad for us by basting it with tons of butter or worse – deep-frying the thing! (Hey, I live on an island where you can actually order deep fried hot dogs at restaurants!). Simply roast the turkey, basting with some olive oil and herbs and ta da, the highlight of the meal!
Stuffing. Another holiday favorite. Depending on the amount of butter/oils added and the kind of bread used, it can range from very unhealthy to not-too-bad. Select a stuffing recipe that uses whole grain bread and a lower fat content and hey, you don’t have to cover half your plate with the stuff! Also, stuffing is best cooked separately from the turkey as the juices from the raw bird can contaminate the stuffing.
Green Bean Casserole. Check out the recipe I posted earlier this month for a healthier version!
Sweet potatoes. Another perfectly healthy food, ruined by well-intentioned cooks over the holidays. I will never comprehend why anyone would want to take such a delicious food and then cook it to death till there are no nutrients left, THEN, mix it with all kinds of sugars and stuff, THEN top it with marshmallows! Actually, my favorite way to eat sweet potatoes is just baked till tender with a small amount of butter added. BUT I know the mainstream holiday crowd is not going to go for that one. So try cooking them, then whipping them with a small amount of butter and milk and if you really want that “sweet” taste, add a little brown sugar or evaporated cane syrup and some cinnamon and nutmeg. Good, and good for you!
Ok, other side dishes: Well, seriously, do you NEED to have some of every food on the planet? Usually our Thanksgiving dinner consists of the foods I have just listed along with cranberry sauce, corn (because my oldest daughter is obsessed with corn), and a green salad. I always have a huge tray of raw veggies for the family to munch on throughout the day before the meal as well, served with hummus or some other healthy dip. Sometimes I have whole wheat rolls, sometimes we skip the rolls, because, wow, this is a lot of carbs for one meal! I live in the South Pacific so of course rice is served with every meal, but we only use brown rice.
Desserts! Can’t forget the dessert! Again, do you need every dessert in existence? I took a poll in my family this year and have found no one here really like pumpkin pie or pecan pie so we have decided to skip those altogether this year. They all voted for apple pie! And I will make my pumpkin cake that I posted the recipe for earlier this month.
So there you have it – our Thanksgiving Dinner. I want to enjoy the day and keep the focus on my family and what I am thankful for, not the food. Yes, we have a feast and a fine one at that – just not one that will make us sick for the rest of the day, and possibly for the rest of the week!