Thanksgiving is coming up and to avoid overeating and then regretting the things I've eaten ush: I'm trying to do research and find more healthy options... so post away with your favorite healthy dish!!
LOL I can't think of too many of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes that are healthy Green bean casserole is my favorite side dish, so when I make it I use the low fat cream of mushroom soup instead regular. You can also use fresh green beans instead of canned - makes for less sodium in the recipe. But there is no way I'm skimping on the fried onion topping! Cooking Light has tons of yummy, healthy holiday recipes at http://www.cookinglight.com. I should try some of their side dishes, but I love unhealthy Turkey Day fare too much
I absolutely love casserole type dishes, but (luckily) my tummy cannot handle the heavy sauces! We have found great alternatives with lighter sauces that taste just as great- with a fraction of the cals. Potato gratin, spinach and ricotta pie, mushroom and spinach bake, potato latkes, cauliflower gratin...let me know if you are at all interested in the recipes! Also, sometimes the best way to prepare veggies is to keep it simple. Nothing is better than steamed aspargus with lemon or green beans with roasted almonds!
Some little things I do to make things healthier: -high fiber, whole wheat bread in the stuffing -turkey sausage in the stuffing instead of pork sausage -REAL unsalted butter, no trans-fat laden margarine -sea salt (naturally lower in sodium) -organic chicken broth for gravy, potatoes and stuffing (lower sodium and fat) -organic turkey from a local farm- -instead of candied yams, I roast them plain OR put just a tiny bit of butter and brown sugar I also make homemade cranberry sauce. It's really easy and it's healthier because it's not processed. You just take 1 cup sugar (I use cane sugar, regular sugar works fine), 1 cup water and 1 bag of fresh cranberries. Boil for 10 minutes, cover and let sit until cooled, then refrigerate. Last year I made banana cream pie and that was a big hit. It was just a regular pie crust with sliced bananas on the bottom, then a layer of sugarfree vanilla pudding, then a layer of lite cool whip on top. It tasted really light and refreshing compared to all the other heavy foods!
I bake sweet potatoes in the oven, like regular white potatoes. Just pierce them with a fork, cover them in foil, and bake for an hour or so. They're good with a little cinnamon, a dollop of brown sugar, and a few sprays of that "zero" calorie butter flavored spread. And much healthier than white baked potatoes.
