November 19, 2023: Healthy Thanksgiving

My weekly Get Your Stuff Together Sunday email series gives you one actionable focus for the week that will make your life a little easier.

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I’m always excited about books, articles, and advice about healthy eating – especially healthier alternatives to my favorite foods. This week, we’re going to talk about tasty and healthy alternatives to your favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

I’ve compiled a short list of a few very tasty, yet healthy, alternatives to the main dishes that you love at Thanksgiving.

Turkey

Americans, as a whole, look to this tasty bird as the main dish every Thanksgiving Holiday. It takes hours to make, but it’s worth it because you end up with leftovers that feed lingering company for days. When it comes to your main dish, here are a few ideas to make it as healthy as possible.

Choose:

  • Skinless turkey breast – removing the skin removes unwanted fat calories.

  • White meat – Eat white meat for an extra lean bonus.

  • 2-3 portions max – our fist size is roughly 1 portion.

Pass up:

  • Dark meat – Just a little added fat content, but do you really need that?

  • Butter and gravy – If you can avoid them, your meal will be a bit healthier.

A better gravy:

I will give you this, eating the white meat of turkey without gravy is like trying to swallow chalk. It just doesn’t go down that easily. But, gravy is essentially made of the fat drippings and butter that didn’t sink into the bird. Give this a try instead: gravy made with fatless turkey drippings. Let your gravy sit for a bit on the counter and then take off the top layer of fat. Do avoid canned gravy. It’s packed with sodium.

Bread and Stuffing

This is a tough one. If I could eat one dish at Thanksgiving, it would be stuffing. But, you’re on a mission for health, do your best to limit or avoid these tasty dish fillers. If your carb cravings are overwhelming, try to make a stuffing using whole grain bread and low butter content. Load it up with onions and celery for flavor so you can get a taste of the good stuff without going overboard on filling calories you just don’t need.

Mashed Potatoes

Turkey and mashed potatoes are a classic Thanksgiving pairing, but mashed potatoes don’t contain nearly the amount of nutrients of their healthier cousins, the sweet potato and yams. If you leave off the butter and sauces, these are a great alternative to white potatoes.

Choose:

  • Sweet potatoes

  • Yams

Avoid:

  • White potatoes

  • Scalloped potatoes

  • Sweet potato fries

  • Candied yams

Cranberries

Cranberry sauce…yeah, a lot of people just skip right past it, especially when it comes out of a can, but eating a spoonful or two of actual cranberries is not only a viable alternative, but it happens to be part of a superfood group that can help lower blood pressure, protect the urinary tract and stomach lining, lower bad cholesterol (LDL) while increasing good cholesterol (HDL), and play a part in good heart health. Plus, they taste really good with turkey, so why not throw some on your plate?

Have a happy, fun, and relaxing Thanksgiving!

Next Sunday, in honor of American Diabetes Month we’ll talk about the basics of diabetes, since 1 in 11 Americans (!) is affected by this disease.

Want some expert help with reaching your health goals painlessly? Check out my programs! I also have some really awesome monthly subscriptions. We’ll get everything taken care of in a way that fits into your current lifestyle so you never have to think about your health again.

Do you have a friend who could stand to G(her)ST? Feel free to forward this!

I hope you have a wonderful week,

Kelly

Kelly Morgan, Ph.D.

Tsirona - www.tsirona.com

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