Healthier Thanksgiving Alternatives
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, you’re likely working on your menu. Though I’m a firm believer that you should enjoy your holiday meal anyway you like, there are some healthier alternatives to some of the traditional Thanksgiving fare. In today’s post, I’ll share alternative recipes if you’re looking to lower your calorie intake on the big day.
Calorie counts
Did you know that it is estimated that Americans consume around 3,000 calories in their Thanksgiving meal? Though consuming a meal this large once a year isn’t a huge deal, there are ways to reduce the number of calories in the meal.
Some general tips for reducing calories in your Thanksgiving meal (or really in any meal) are:
Choose white meat instead of dark meat - 3 ounces of dark meat contains an extra 30 calories and 2 grams of fat than the same amount of white meat
Use less butter in the mashed potatoes - just 1 tablespoon of butter contains 102 calories
Use 1 or 2% milk in the mashed potatoes instead of whole milk or heavy cream - 1 cup of 1% milk has 107 calories compared to 152 calories in 1 cup of whole milk
Avoid adding brown sugar or bacon to the sweet potatoes (or add less) - 1 tablespoon of brown sugar has 60 calories and 1 slice of bacon has 43 calories
Skip the fried onions on the green bean casserole - 2 tablespoons of packaged French’s fried onions contains 45 calories
Skip the whipped cream or ice cream served with the pie - 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream has around 150 calories
Though some of the calorie counts listed above may not seem like a lot, they can sure add up!
Healthier options
Healthy can still be delicious! Here are some recipes to try that are slightly healthier than traditional Thanksgiving dishes:
Healthy mashed potatoes (184 calories per serving) or creamy mashed cauliflower (103 calories per serving)
Healthy mashed sweet potatoes -130 calories per serving
Healthy stuffing - 161 calories per serving
Healthy green bean casserole - 159 calories per serving
Healthy pumpkin pie - 229 calories per serving
Roasted turkey (white meat) - 125 calories per 3 oz. serving
Eating one serving of each of the above items:
988 calories if you have mashed potatoes instead of mashed cauliflower
907 calories if you have mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes
That’s over 2,000 calories less than the average American Thanksgiving meal!
With all this being said, remember that it’s okay to indulge and enjoy your Thanksgiving meal. But, if you’d like to try some healthier alternatives, the recipes and ideas listed above are some great options. And just because something is healthy doesn’t mean it won’t still taste delicious!
