Have a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a special time to spend with friends and family, but the celebrations often include too much food and treats that aren’t always healthy. With childhood obesity on the rise in the U.S., it’s important that we teach our children the importance of eating well, even during the holidays.

Portion control can help to keep the fat and calorie intake down at big holiday meals when we all tend to overeat. Try filling your child's plate with larger servings of salad or veggies, only serve white turkey meat (remember one serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards) and leave the butter off the table.

Dr. Stephen Daniels had the following to say about the dangers of overeating during the holidays, starting with Thanksgiving. 

"One of the biggest influences on diet is the environment and often during the holidays the environment is filled with food. The best approach for families is to plan ahead in what they buy, the portion sizes they serve and what food is available in the house. Finally, it is also important for families to find ways to be physically active during the holidays."

Read more about getting your child the proper nutrition during the holidays and year-round

The holidays get healthy

With a few adjustments you can trim down your traditional Thanksgiving recipes. Take a few tips from these recipe substitution suggestions. And if you are looking for a fresh start, try some of the nutritious dishes below - they taste so good no one in your family will know you’ve reduced the fat and calories.

While the turkey is in the oven, take the chance to get outside for a walk or to play with your kids. Being active is a great way to offset the negative effects a holiday feast can have on your family's health.

Instead of:	Use:
1 egg	2 egg whites or 1/4 c. egg substitute
cream or whole milk	fat-free half-and-half and whole milk
cream cheese	reduced-fat cream cheese
sour cream	Greek yogurt or reduced-fat/non-fat sour cream
all-purpose flour	half all purpose and half whole-wheat flour
1 c. sugar in baking	3/4 c. sugar, or 1 c. Splenda
1/2 c. nuts	1/3 c. toasted nuts: toss in a dry skillet until slightly brown (will give nuts stronger flavor)
white rice in casseroles, etc	brown rice, wild rice or barley (for whole grains)

Pumpkin Souffles

These tasty treats are only thirty-three calories per serving and could be a great alternative to pumpkin pie. The recipe makes six servings, made in 4-oz. ramekins – the small dishes used for crème bruelee.

Granulated sugar

½ cup fat-free (skim) milk

1 ½ tsp. cornstarch

1 ½ tsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger

1/3 c. canned pumpkin

¼ tsp. Vanilla extract

1 ½ tsp. organic raw sugar (Sucanat) or brown sugar

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

4 egg whites

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray 6 ramekins with vegetable cooking spray. Sprinkle insides of dishes with granulated sugar; shake to lightly coat. Invert dishes and tap bottoms lightly to remove excess sugar.
• In medium saucepan, add milt to cornstarch; stir until well blended. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in ginger. Pour into large bowl; set aside to cool.
• Add pumpkin, vanilla, organic sugar, cinnamon and cloves; mix well.
• In medium bowl, beat egg whites at high speed of electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in 1 ½ teaspoons of granulates sugar. Fold into pumpkin mixture, Spoon evenly into prepared dishes. Bake 15-20 minutes or until set in centers.
• Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Omega 3 Super Stuffing

This recipe is chockfull of omega 3s from flaxseed, which can typically be found in the baking section of your grocery store. To make this recipe even healthier, try using whole grain bread for the bread crumbs.

2 ¼ c. reduced fat, low sodium chicken stock

¼ c. brown rice

4 Tbsp. Smart Balance (or other margarine)

2 c. freshly sliced mushrooms

2 c. diced celery

1 c. chopped onion

4 c. bread crumbs

1 Tbsp. poultry seasoning

3 Tbsp. milled flaxseeds

• Combine the chicken stock and the brown rice in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until rice is tender (about 15-20 minutes).
• Melt the margarine in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms, celery, onion, and flaxseeds. Cook until the vegetables are soft.
• In a large bowl mix the breadcrumbs and poultry seasoning. Add the rice and the vegetables and mix well.

Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce

2 8-oz. packages fresh or frozen cranberries

1 navel orange; use both zest and juice

1 tsp. fennel seeds

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 cinnamon stick

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

½ c. sugar or Splenda

• Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. When it begins to boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the berries burst and the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.

Healthier Holiday Pie Crust

6 Tbsp. Flour Blend (equal parts white flour, whole wheat flour, and wheat germ)
6 Tbsp. walnuts ground in a food processor

6 Tbsp. oat bran

¼ tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

3 Tbsp. walnut, almond, canola, or vegetable oil

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spray a 9-inch pie pan (or for cheesecake, a 9-inch springform pan) with oil.
• In a medium size bowl, combine the Flour Blend, ground walnuts, oat bran, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix in the oil. Press the mixture unto the prepared pie pan, prick it a few times with a fork and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until golden brown.