While in the past you may have seen Thanksgiving dinner as an opportunity to indulge, what if this year it was about something else? What if your food choices were an expression of your gratitude for your body – ones that allowed you to enjoy delicious flavors AND give thanks with each and every bite?
Our Functional Medicine Team invites you to celebrate abundance with our favorite recipe swaps that will “healthify” your meals without making them taste any different!
Skip candied yams, eat roasted sweet potatoes
o A ¾ cup serving of sweet potatoes have only 100 calories compared to a ½ cup serving of candied yams, which have over 200 calories. Not only do you get more potatoes for fewer calories, but you also get a healthy helping of vitamins and nutrients from the sweet potatoes.
Skip dark meat, eat white meat turkey
o Dark meat has about twice the fat and 40 percent more calories than white meat turkey breast.
Skip the heavy casserole, eat fresh green beans
o Skip the full-fat cream of mushroom soup and French-fried onions. Instead, cut and steam fresh green beans and sprinkle them with slivered almonds for a nice crunch and added protein.
Swap whole milk with thinned plain yogurt
o Whether you’re making cornbread or another classic holiday recipe that calls for whole milk, replace it with low-fat buttermilk or thinned plain yogurt to cut fat and calories.
Swap butter or eggs with a mashed banana
o Replace butter with a mashed banana in your favorite baked goods to cut down the recipe’s total fat, cholesterol and sodium. In addition, bananas are high in potassium and vitamin C.
Skip the mashed potatoes, mash cauliflower instead
o Cut the carbs of this classic dish with this simple swap.
