Although most of us look forward to thanksgiving and the
holidays as a time to spend with family and loved ones, many of us also dread
the mass quantities of food we're going to consume, at the same time. It’s hard
to have all of your family/childhood favorites offered up on a platter
(literally) and to say, “no.” If you’re
cooking your own Thanksgiving feast at least you have some say in what ends up
on the table. Here are a couple tips to help you lighten the holiday caloric
load!
-For that beautiful turkey, be sure to add to the flavor and
not the fat. I’m definitely guilty of this one: if your turkey is cooked
properly, there’s no need to put butter under the skin or rub it on the skin.
You can mix your favorite rub or herbs with some of your favorite cooking oil
and rub that under the skin instead. Salt, pepper, and spray the skin with
cooking spray. If you start your turkey at 425 degrees for the first 10-15
minutes, you’ll lock in that moisture and guarantee super crispy and delicious
skin without the extra fat of the butter.
-Don’t stuff the turkey to keep your stuffing from becoming
overloaded with fat. Oh, I totally get it…the stuffing that comes out of the
bird is just so much better than what comes from the stovetop! That’s because
it has roasted in and absorbed all of the drippings from your turkey. Instead,
put your stuffing in a casserole dish and roast it separately. You’ll still get
a lot of the flavor without a lot of the fat.
-Save some of the sugar. With sweet potato casserole, a very
healthy starch quickly turns into a dessert with all of the brown sugar and marshmallows
that we add. Instead, just add a little bit of honey or maple syrup. The
potatoes are naturally sweet, cut out some of the sugar by enhancing them a
little more naturally.
-Use reduced fat, sodium, or fat free wherever possible.
We all have those picky eaters in our families who won’t go near “Reduced”
anything if we paid them to (I have a SO and father who will look at you crazy
if you even try), but they have no say in your recipe and cooking. Take cuts
and substitutions wherever you can to keep your family favorites without all of
the calorie-ridden guilt attached.
-Have a steamed option for like-minded family members, if at
all possible. We know that you already have an entire feast to prepare already,
but if you can replace one side option (the creamed corn, creamed spinach, or
broccoli and cheese, maybe) with a steamed substitute, you may be able to
lighten everyone’s load. Maybe some steamed broccoli or even some beautiful
tri-colored carrots. Without the extra cream and butter it’ll be a refreshing reprieve
from the rest.
Posted on Nov 19 2013 10:42AM
By LIFamilies
