Planning A Healthy Thanksgiving

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Good Morning!

 

Planning A Healthy Thanksgiving

 

Planning a healthy Thanksgiving is easy and affordable. When we think of this

feast day, we think of foods laden with rich gravies, sugar filled desserts and

heavy dressings. I offer up some " alternative answers " and find substitutes for

these Thanksgiving table favorites that are high in processed sugar, saturated

fats and cholesterol.

 

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Turkey

 

1 whole turkey (10 to 12 pounds)

6 to 8 garlic cloves

2 large lemons, halved

2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

 

 

Cut six to eight small slits in turkey skin insert garlic between the skin and

meat. Squeeze two lemon halves inside the turkey and leave them inside. Squeeze

remaining lemon over outside of turkey. Spray the turkey with nonstick cooking

spray; sprinkle with rosemary and sage. Place on a rack in a roasting pan. Bake,

uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 1 hour. Cover and bake 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours

longer or until a meat thermometer reads 185 degrees F. Serving: 8-10.

 

 

Super Squash Soup

 

1 red onion chopped fine

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups pumpkin puree

pinch of finely chopped ginger

dash of fat free milk or milk alternative (soy, rice, almond)

pinch of cinnamon

 

 

Prepare: Saute onions until tender. Add chicken stock and pumpkin puree and

ginger. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add milk (alternative) and cinnamon.

 

 

Homemade Gravy without the fat

 

You can make gravy from your turkey drippings but only use the drippings that

are not fatty. You can see the fat floating on the top of the drippings. Skim

that fat off with a table spoon before you make your gravy. After you skim off

the fat on the turkey drippings then boil the drippings and add a cup of water

mixed with corn starch. Mix the ingredients until they are thick like gravy.

 

 

Low Fat Gravy

 

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 cups reduced-sodium fat-free beef or chicken broth, divided

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Pinch pepper

 

 

Prepare: In a saucepan, saute onion, mushrooms and parsley in 1/4 cup broth

until vegetables are tender. Combine cornstarch, pepper and 1/2 cup of broth;

stir until smooth. Add to pan with the remaining broth. Bring to a boil,

stirring occasionally: boil for 2 minutes. Serving: 2 cups.

 

 

Orange Zest Mashed Potatoes

 

Sweet potatoes are a wonderful low calorie, low glycemic alternative to white

potatoes when prepared properly.

 

4 medium sweet potatoes

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup hot milk (or milk alternative such as soy, almond, rice or fat free milk)

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp orange zest

 

 

Prepare: cook sweet potatoes until tender. Peel and transfer to bowl. Stir in 1

cup pumpkin puree. Mash with fork until smooth. Stir in milk and splash in olive

oil. Add orange zest and serve. Serves 6-8.

 

 

Fresh Fruit Compote

 

Fresh fruit is great part of any Thanksgiving meal. Fruit represents abundance

and it is a great source of vitamins and fiber. Consider melons, grapefruit,

oranges, apples, cherries, apricots, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or

any fruit you would like and cut them into bite size pieces. Mix them all

together to make a tasty fruit salad. You can cut and squeeze one lemon over the

fruit. As an addition, add dried cranberries, acai berries or a handful of

chopped walnuts, almond slivers or mini carob bits.

 

 

Fat Free Pumpkin Pie

 

Crust Ingredients:

1 cup dry bread crumbs

 

Filling Ingredients:

1 small Sugar pumpkin (2 lbs. size)

1 1/2 cup Pumpkin, canned

4 Egg whites

2/3 cup Sugar (or sugar alternative such as agave or stevia)

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Ginger

OR

1 teaspoon Finely grated fresh ginger root

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

1 1/4 cup Fat free evaporated milk

 

 

Crust Preparation: Spray 9 " pie plate with vegetable cooking spray. Scatter

crumbs evenly pressing into plate. Spray crumbs with spray & bake crust at 350

degrees F. for 10-15 minutes until dry and lightly brown. Cool on rack.

 

Filling Preparation: If using fresh pumpkin, rinse, stem, and halve pumpkin.

Scrape out the seeds and cut into 2 " chunks. Using paring knife, remove skin &

place pumpkin in large baking dish. Add 1/2 c water & cover dish tightly with

foil.

 

Bake at 350 degrees F. for on hour, until soft, checking to make sure that water

has not evaporated, adding more if needed. Cool and puree pumpkin in food

processor.

 

Scrape cooked fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin into bowl then whisk in egg

whites. Whisk in sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg & evaporated milk, one

ingredient at a time, whisking smooth between each addition.

 

Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 350 degree F until filling is set, 1 hour.

Cool on rack. Refrigerate if prepared more than a few hours in advance of

serving. Serving:6-8

 

 

A Word About Eating

 

Yes, it is a holiday but that does not mean you have to go into an

uncontrollable spiral! Be aware of your calorie intake. If you are unsure about

the calories in your meal, I feel it is essential to learn this amazing tool for

effective weight loss. Record in your ledger or journal the calories of

everything you put in your mouth for one week. Be in tune to the total calories

you consume daily, and make an effort to replace high-fat foods with low-calorie

ones like vegetables and fruits.

 

Discipline applies to any matter in life. I cannot stress enough how discipline

is the second most important aspect in weight control or achieving any kind of

success in your life! It is the secret to the most effective, efficient and well

strategic plan you can give yourself! Being successful, losing weight,

maintaining relationships are not tasks that come easy for most people. They are

all things we must work hard on creating, keeping and maintaining! (Why do you

think diet plans have *Results not typical with an asterisks? Because most

people have a lack of discipline). You probably already have some forms of

discipline in your life. You pay your bills by a certain time, you show up for

work every day, often plan your finances, your meals or walk your dog. These are

all disciplines in your life already. Some of us need a little more in our lives

than others. The whole idea with these suggestions is to show you just how much

you are eating, how many calories you are consuming and to get you into a

pattern, which will set you up for great success!

 

Portion control does not have to go out the window on the holiday. This was a

hard lesson for me to learn. As a dancer and someone who always worked out, I

felt I had my portioning under control. I eventually learned why I would get

that bloated and discomfort feeling after eating. It was my portion size. Sure I

was active and exercising but as I aged and my metabolism slowed, my portions

were not changing with the rest of me! Once I understood the discipline behind

this, it changed my life!

 

If it all goes out the window in wild abandon, please, forego the guilt and take

solace that although you had one day of calorie binging, it is better than doing

this everyday. Guilt has never served anyone in any capacity. Making these tips

a lifestyle, over time, is the key.

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac

http://www.peacefulmind.com/articlest.htm

Therapies for healing

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