For any other meal, you can easily make small changes (such as swapping whole-grain bread for white rolls) to try to get your family to eat healthier. But at Thanksgiving dinner, they’re going to notice””and they’re probably not going to be very happy.
Luckily, there are some clever ways you can adjust traditional Thanksgiving recipes to cut down on calories, fat and sugar””without anyone even knowing. While writing out your shopping list for next week’s feast, keep these tips in mind:
1. Use fat-free/low-sodium broth for basting turkey
2. Replace butter and salt in mashed potatoes with olive oil and garlic/herbs
3. Top sweet potato casseroles with chopped pecans instead of marshmallows
4. Use yogurt or fat-free sour cream for dips and creamy dishes
5. Make mushroom gravy instead of meat-based gravy
6. Use whole wheat bread, and go heavy on veggies, for stuffing
7. Make salad dressing with flaxseed or hemp oil
8. Skip canned cranberry””make a simple sauce from crushed berries, apple cider and sugar (you’ll find many basic recipes online)
9. Replace one whole egg with two egg whites, or use apple sauce instead of oil, in dessert recipes
10. Replace sugar with stevia or another natural sweetener (widely available in granule form) in dessert recipes