Thanksgiving: Stuff the Bird, Not Your Guest

Thanksgiving: Stuff the Bird, Not Your Guest

It can be easy to overeat on Thanksgiving day.  There are so many tasty foods, that we often only eat once or twice a year.  Here are some tips for “lightening” up Thanksgiving dinner.

1.       Consume white meat rather than dark meat.  Eat little or no skin since the skins can double the fat and calories in a piece of turkey.

2.       Instead of using butter in stuffing, consider using low sodium chicken broth and concentrated apple juice with usual herbs and spices.

3.       Cranberry sauce can be made with fresh cranberries, diced apples and oranges, nuts and raisins with a taste of honey.

4.       Before making gravy, skim all the fat from the pan drippings or use canned low-sodium chicken broth.

5.       Vegetables can be seasoned with fresh-squeezed lemon juice or freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

6.       Choose whole wheat dinner rolls rather than rolls made with wheat flour.

7.       Beverages can add a lot of calories to a meal.  Sparkling fruit juice or non-alcoholic champagne can be lower calorie alternatives to alcoholic beverages.

8.       Consider a low-fat pumpkin pie recipe topped with low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt.

9.       If guests are bringing food items, ask them to only bring one item or a beverage. Another option is to bring a fun activity that can be done after the meal is eaten and clean-up is completed.  This is a great way to get guests to get moving.