Make your Thanksgiving meal more nourishing by upgrading your ingredients. Most ingredients in a recipe can easily be swapped for a healthier upgrade without compromising flavor! Take a look at the list below. What healthy upgrades can you make in your cooking/baking? This particular list includes products that you can swap out one for one. Ingredients like almond or coconut flour are great baking options, but are not a one for one swap so they are not on the list. If you want to use those ingredients, I recommend finding a recipe that calls for it.
thanksgiving
Healthy Holiday Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Sauce-is it a part of your Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner?
Cranberry sauce was a new adventure for me. I was very excited to try it and quite pleased how it turned out! Throwing all the ingredients in the pan and turning the heat up, I was delighted to hear the sound of those berries popping! Most cranberry sauce recipes call for a large amount of sugar so I was pleased to find you can cut the content by over half! It does make more of a tart sauce, but it will go perfect with your turkey 😉
Facts on Cranberries
- As the berry ripens, it turns from green to red.
- High antioxidant content.
- Helps prevent or treat urinary tract infections.
- Decreases inflammation.
- Helps fight against cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
- All around a very powerful berry that boosts immune function
Thanksgiving Day Tips
Thanksgiving! Family, friends, food, laughter.
Love this time of year! Our Thanksgiving day usually consists of a big family get together with lots of eating, laughing, games & fun. It is so easy to over indulge on this day but I’ve got a few tips for you! For me, it’s important to enjoy the day without feeling guilty about what I should or shouldn’t be eating. Use that day as your “moderation” and enjoy it to the fullest. That being said, consider taking smaller portions and pass on the foods that you don’t really love. It’s just not worth it to be super full! Being the guest, you can’t control what’s being served. However, if you are participating in the menu, plan to bring a dish that is healthy but still delicious. I love making a healthy cranberry sauce or this fall apple salad as a side dish.
Tips for a successful Thanksgiving for you and your body!
- Eat plenty of leafy greens, broths & veggies during the week. Skip the sugar, you will probably get enough of that on Thursday. 🙂
- Eat a balanced breakfast & snacks leading up the the “feast”. Include protein & healthy fats. This will help you balance those blood sugar levels which will in turn keep you from reaching that crazy hunger and ultimately keep you from overeating.
- Take a 20-30 minute walk or include some sort of movement after your meal. This will stimulate digestion and make you feel better especially if you ate just a little too much.
- Chew Your Food. Put down your fork after each bite. Chewing breaks your food down from larger particles into smaller ones that are more easily digested. This will help our digestive system out tremendously.
- Drink plenty of water or hot herbal tea throughout the day.
- Take a digestive enzyme before your meal with some water. An enzyme will assist the body in breaking down proteins and sugars. I use this one.
- Have fun, be thankful, enjoy!! This day is about thanksgiving, love, family, gratefulness. Enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving!