Looking For Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes

Some things are not to be messed with. Christmas and Thanksgiving meals are meant to be unhealthy. I'll never forget the time my mom used fat free cheese in her maccaroni pie for Thanksgiving. I still haven't gotten over that one. If they want healthy, feed them turkey breast while I eat dressing and gravy!!

I agree one day man its well worth it but in case you could use light butter where it calls for butter, do red potatoes with a bit of extra virgin olive oil instead of mashed potatoes or like the previous post skim milk and reduced fat sour cream. If they want mac and cheese I sometimes by the 2% kind from the store. Use splenda for the sweet potatoes and still some brown sugar......As far as desserts good luck!!!

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Last year I made cranberry sauce with Splenda instead of real sugar. It was awesome:

1 (12oz) bag fresh cranberries
1 cup Splenda
1 cup orange juice

Mix all ingredients in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, simmer until berries pop. Chill until ready to serve.

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These pumpkin muffins are pretty good. I'm gluten free, but you can sub whole wheat flour for the crazy flour. It was originally a Deseree Ficker recipe in Triathlon mag last year I believe:

1 3/4 Cups Gluten Free Flour Mix
1 1/4 Cups Sugar or Splenda
1 TBSP Baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBS Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Ginger
1/4 tsp Allspice
1/8 tsp Cloves
Mix all that together in 1 bowl

In another bowl:
Mix 1 Cup pureed (canned) pumpkin
1 TBSP Soy or Fat Free Yogurt
1/2 Cup Soy or Skim milk
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
2-3 TBSP molasses or honey

Extras:
+ 1/3-1/2 cup Oats
+ Sunflower Seeds, Almonds or other nuts pressed into the top before baking

Mix everything together and put in muffin tray - makes 12 muffins.
Bake at 400 for 25-30 mins or until done

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Green beans can be really simple by just drizzling some EVOO over fresh cut beans, throw in some cherry tomatoes, add some spices or fresh herbs and roasting at 400+ degress. Add some almonds at the end. You don't need the canned soup to have tasty beans.

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Mashed potatoes can be more healthy by subbing chicken stock for some (or all) of the cream. Add fresh rosemary or fresh chives for a great flavor.

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A great dessert is a sugar-free, fat-free, chocolate pudding pie. Buy a pre-made graham cracker crust (that will be the worst thing in the recipe) and follow the directions for PUDDING PIE on the Jello Sugar-Free Chocolate Pudding box. Use skim milk. Add fat-free whipped topping if you like it.

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What do you think Turkey Trots are for??!!!

Look at Cooking Light magazine online.. A few years ago I got an amazing stuffing recipe with sourdough bread. It had some other really good recipes too.   www.cookinglight.com    I think it was 2005 or 2006 I got the sourdough stuffing but they tend to do holiday themed content for the fall. 

Roast butternut squash, toss w/ romaine and toasted pecans.  Add vinaigrette (yummy)

Roast asparagus

Lots of ideas...

Edited by QueenZipp 2008-10-20 5:24 PM

why cut back? my plan is to do a huge brick (like 3 hour ride and 1 hour run) followed by another huge brick (3 hours of eating followed by 1 hour of dessert) then fall asleep on the couch while watching football, should young uns permit.

You should participate in the post race celebration, i.e., cleaning up!

I don't mess with it much, but I have changed my stuffing to use whole grain bread (it actually tastes better than crappy white bread) and turkey sausage...other than that - bring it on!

One change I made that everyone is on board for is pumpkin cheesecake instead of pumpkin pie. I can't match my grandmother-in-law's crust anyway, so I don't try. Got the cheesecake recipe from Cooking Light and it rocks.

I agree with keyone... Turkey Trot.. free pass 10K!!!

great stories to talk about at the dinner table...

Edited by momo 2008-10-21 8:22 AM