I had so much fun last week sharing my innermost thoughts while working out for the #DishTheFit link-up that I decided to join in again this week. The #DishTheFit link-up is hosted every Tuesday by Jill Conyers and Jessica Joy of The Fit Switch – you can check out this post for all the details if you want to join in.
This week’s optional topic is:
Healthify Your Holiday Menu! What traditional family favorites are you tweaking or swapping to serve a healthier version?
Great timing, since this Thanksgiving will be the second time ever that I am doing the hosting and cooking! Given that my first 23 Thanksgivings were spent with only a vague notion that there was some food holiday celebrated in North America sometime towards the end of the year, I actually don’t have a lot of emotional significance tied to the traditional Thanksgiving meal of roast turkey & all the sides.
That didn’t stop me roasting a turkey and cooking the traditional sides like stuffing and cranberry sauce the first time we hosted Thanksgiving at our apartment with a friend, though:
This Thanksgiving, I’ve planned a delicious menu which is based in tradition, but with a healthy twist. In fact, I didn’t consciously attempt to healthify the holiday menu – it just happens that the places I look for cooking inspiration happen to be healthy recipe sites, like Eating Well, or Cooking Light.
The guests: Me, Fran, my Mother-in-law (aka Grandma) and Roman.
Percentage of guests who turn their noses up at 80% of what I cook: 25%
What I’m making:
To start, I’m making this delicious-sounding Celeriac & Apple Soup with Blue Cheese Toasts as an appetizer. Using roasted apples and celery root as the base of the soup will give it a rich flavor, without the heaviness of a creamy soup. Also, I am planning on making this soup ahead of time, which will save a lot of hassle on Thanksgiving Day. It also gives me a chance to taste-test the soup as a dinner a couple of nights beforehand! 🙂
Instead of a roast turkey, which would be a lot for such a small guest list (I really don’t want to be eating turkey for a week following the holiday), I am planning on this recipe, also from Eating Well: Mushroom & Cranberry Stuffed Turkey Cutlets. I like that it’s still a turkey dish, it incorporates the cranberry so I don’t have to worry about making sauce AND it’s quick to make.
The sides and desserts:
Okay, here’s the kicker. I don’t believe in healthifying EVERYTHING for a special meal like Thanksgiving. It’s one meal on one day – it’s okay to splurge a little! I also don’t believe in making mashed potatoes without butter and cream. #sorrynotsorry. When Carla Hall spoke at FitBlogNYC, she talked about healthy recipes or preparations you can try for Thanksgiving sides, but she also gave the caveat that when you start messing with traditional food, you’re potentially messing with people’s emotions and memories attached to those dishes.
So, for sides I’m planning on making some stuffing (or dressing? I’m not actually sure I know the difference!) and maybe I will lighten that up a touch. This recipe for Fennel, Sausage & Caramelized Apple Stuffing is a contender, for sure. There will be mashed potatoes with cream and butter and probably some peas with gravy.
For dessert, I am torn. I don’t bake, so my pies will be store-bought. I had never tried pumpkin pie until my very first Thanksgiving at a friend’s house back in 2000 and it was instant love. My husband is not the biggest pumpkin pie fan, though and I am thinking a local bakery’s chocolate pecan pie might be a necessary addition to the menu. It is possible there will be two pies and I will be kept awake all night from baby kicking me due to the ensuing sugar rush.
6 Tips for Planning a Healthy Holiday
Now that I’ve shared what I’m planning for the feast, here are 6 tips that might help you healthify your holiday meal, whether you’re doing the majority of the cooking, or you’re just in charge of one dish.
Think about what you love most, then make everything else a lightened version. For me, it’s real mashed potatoes or bust, as well as the most caloric pie I can possibly find. Maybe for you it’s a family stuffing recipe, or a green bean casserole that you can’t imagine making healthy. Enjoy every bite! Splurge! Then just cut back on the parts of the meal that aren’t so important for you.
Remember that herbs and spices are your friend. Flavors like sage, thyme, cinnamon and tarragon can go a long way toward increasing the flavor of a dish for which you’re using less oil, butter, or sugar.
It’s not just about eating – get active, too. Sign up for a turkey trot on Thanksgiving morning, or get up early for a stress-busting run, yoga class, or workout. As well as helping offset extra calories you’ll be eating on the day, the benefits of getting those exercise-induced endorphins pumping before the inevitable stress kicks in will be invaluable.
Don’t forget to eat before you EAT. I’m talking about not skipping meals. It may seem like a great idea to eat next to nothing the day you’re going to have a big feast like Thanksgiving, but it will make you grumpy, starving and much more likely to overeat.
Drink water. Of course I’m not suggesting you say no to having wine with your meal (c’mon now, I feel like you know me by now!) but don’t forget to stay hydrated during the day, especially if you’re the one cooking in a hot kitchen. Drinking water during your meal will also help you cut back on the booze if overindulging is something you’re prone to do!
Spend a little time planning meals for a couple of days before and after the holiday. Think about lightening up your meals the week of the holiday, so you’re balancing out the calories.
Are you hosting and cooking for Thanksgiving this year?
Do you have any lightened-up versions of traditional dishes?
What’s your splurge dish that you would never want to healthify?
I love the part about messing with traditional foods and altering emotions – I think that is so true! I tend to focus on pleasing my guests and not pushing my healthy agenda on them. Sure, it’s a lot of indulgence, but I can still eat in moderation and be mindful. I want to preserve the happiness that comes with tradition.
Pragati // Simple Medicine recently posted…Healthy Swaps for Thanksgiving
Yes to pleasing your guests! It’s one thing if you’re making something delicious that happens to be healthy, but when tradition is all tied up with a rich food, it’s tricky to make a huge substitution.
My hubby and I love to cook for the holidays! and I love left overs! I do try to lighten up when I can but i make a mean rum cake that I only have during the holidays 🙂 and I don’t mind running a few extra miles for that!
Mary Beth Jackson recently posted…Can the holidays be healthy?
Mmmm….rum cake! That sounds SO good. Sometimes I make chocolate rum balls for the holidays which are pretty amazing. A few extra miles never hurt anyone! 😉
I totally like to have my dessert (and a glass of wine or two) so I try to keep a lot of healthier options for the meal – I agree you should splurge on those things you really do want and work around the rest.
Also, water is essential for many reasons around the holidays (keeps bloating minimal, helps appetite control, and it keeps from overindulging in other beverages! 🙂
Erin recently posted…Hold The Potato, Bring On the Cheesy Cauliflower Mashed
Exactly! Prioritize what you really want to eat without worrying about it and lighten up the foods that aren’t a big sacrifice for you to make healthy. All about moderation, right?
I love your outlook, about how you didn’t plan to healthify, it was just natural because of the resources you use. AMEN. great point. And, your plans sound so delicious. Oh my gosh, I would not turn my nose up, I would be singing your praises! lol. Thanks so much for linking up and sharing!
Jessica Joy @The Fit Switch recently posted…Healthier Candied Yams. The Fit Dish #10
Well, to be fair, the one guest turning his nose up is an almost-three-year-old, so it kind of comes with the territory! 🙂 Really loving your & Jill’s link up!
I love that even while planning a healthy meal you still save room for some splurge dishes (or drinks!!).
We are just having some friends over and I haven’t even thought about the menu yet – I’m actually leaning away from the traditional this year but we’ll see.
Kim recently posted…Can You Tell a Joke?
You have to give yourself a little wiggle room in the healthy lifestyle, otherwise it would just be too bland or boring. I can’t imagine giving up pie or mashed potatoes, or wine (you know, except when pregnant!!)
I completely agree about not messing with traditional foods. Carla was RIGHT ON about how it’s tied to emotions and memories. I eat a hearty serving of pan fried smelt fish on Thanksgiving because my grandma used to make them for me as a kid. I’m lucky that my stepmom has continued this tradition, just for me. I also agree with eating before you eat. I have zero problem with that and always cook a big breakfast here for my family and my brother’s (who stay with us) before heading to my dad’s for the big feast. Good luck with your dinner. I think it’s going to be perfect!
Allie recently posted…The Rundown: Off Season
That comment by Carla really resonated with me – people often talk about the negative aspects of ’emotional eating’ but of course there’s a good kind of emotional eating, too. I feel sad when I hear or see people skipping meals so they can indulge with less guilt later.
My dish that I always like to have and not necessarily healthify is homemade pumpkin pie. I really only eat it on Thanksgiving so I like to savor every bite!
Pumpkin pie is hands-down my FAVORITE part of Thanksgiving. It is the best. 🙂
Great tips! I especially love #1. I tried to make low fat stuffing once..my family will never let me live it down, it was pretty terrible (and dry). I don’t even worry about low fat anymore on Thanksgiving and I can’t wait to eat some butter filled mashed potatoes!
Sarah (Shh…Fit Happens) recently posted…#PileontheMiles Check-in and 2 Little Motivational Stories with a BIG Message
Thanks Sarah! I think it’s important to have something you look forward to enjoying and actually eat it and splurge on it with no guilt. If you’re eating healthy most of the time, the occasional indulgence on a holiday isn’t going to make or break you.
Even if it was just my parents and myself……. We would have a 15 pound turkey, LOL! And I am the only one who likes turkey!
GiGi Eats recently posted…Cozy Up With A Bowl of Johnny Depp
That’s kind of amazing. I’m pretty certain a 15 pound turkey wouldn’t even fit in my oven. It would just start laughing when I open the oven door. Ahhh, the joys of Brooklyn living! 😉
Your menu sounds delicious! While I grew up eating traditional thanksgiving foods they are not really my favorite. The options you have here sound like a nice twist on traditional favorites which is awesome! May have to work on doing something like this with our menu next year!
They turned out great – the soup especially was really yummy and a nice healthy start to the meal!
Great tips! It’s so true about emotions, holidays, traditional dishes. I try to focus on a balance and healthify where I can without losing that traditional Thanksgiving feeling. That means some recipes are not healthified 🙂
jill conyers recently posted…7 Ways to De-Stress During the Holidays
Yup, balance is key! It’s good for the soul to indulge occasionally. 🙂
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