Want Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes?

It’s that time of year—time for eating yourself into a coma and loosening up the belt! But maybe you are looking for a healthier, happier, less bloated way this year. Tara stops by and gives us some great tips for keeping it practical and some seriously awesome healthy Thanksgiving recipes!

Eat Healthily, Live Happily, and Be Guilt-Free

There’s no doubt that the holiday season is the most fun yet challenging time to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

There is abundant sugar, alcohol, and those oh-so-unhealthy yet tasty treats.

The good news is that there is a solution that does not rely on self-control and deprivation; it’s learning to listen to your body’s signals and find healthy alternatives for those beloved holiday foods.

Below are some tips and healthy Thanksgiving recipes to help you get through this holiday season while still enjoying those amazing foods.

Naturally, Prevent Cravings and Over-Indulging:

Eat more vegetables and fruits. Of course, this would be at the top of the list regarding healthy Thanksgiving recipes and tips. Some of the most delicious fruits, including cranberries, pomegranates, and tangerines, are in season during the holidays.

These fruits can help prevent overindulging in sweet treats, pies, and other holiday sweets by serving as replacements and satisfying that sweet tooth.

Adding sweet vegetables helps crowd out less healthy foods in the diet. Try parsnips, carrots, beets, winter squashes, sweet potatoes, and yams.

Eating more vegetables and fruits makes you crave sugar less.

Minimize caffeine. The highs and lows that caffeine creates in our bodies often result from dehydration and blood sugar spikes, leading to cravings for sugary food more often. To minimize these extremes, try switching out your normal cup of coffee (or reducing the amount you drink) with herbal coffee.

This caffeine-free alternative to coffee is tea that comes in an array of flavors, including Dandelion Roast or Longevity Spring tea with Gynostemma, an herb that supports healthy immune activity and increased energy.

Stay hydrated. Often, we mistake thirst signals for hunger and end up eating unnecessarily. An easy tip is to drink two glasses of water before your Thanksgiving meal and then reach for that extra snack.

Your brain might be telling you that you’re thirsty!

Add spices. Certain spices, such as coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, saffron, and cardamom, actually have properties that reduce food cravings.

These spices will naturally add flavor to your foods, increase serotonin levels that will leave you feeling satisfied and reduce cravings.

Load up on electrolytes: Drinking alcohol can deplete your electrolytes and make you feel lethargic and crave carbohydrates. Certain supplements, such as Drinkwel, that contain minerals and vitamins exist and should be taken before and after drinking alcohol.

You can also take 150 mg of magnesium, calcium, B6, and B12, which you might already have in your medicine cabinet. For extra electrolyte balance, drink natural coconut water, eat grapefruit for natural detoxification of alcohol, eat antioxidant-rich fruits, and eat dark leafy greens such as kale and spinach.

Avoid These Pitfalls During the Holidays

Using canned and packaged foods seems like a wonderful solution when you’re in a hurry and need to prepare a dish quickly.

However, these foods are usually highly processed and usually contain high amounts of sodium and preservatives that can lead to dehydration and increased food cravings.

Take the time to properly plan your meal and prep items the night before, if needed. You’ll have fresher ingredients, and your body won’t suffer the consequences of food cravings and the guilt you’ll feel when overindulging.

Make sure to take extra notice to avoid these keywords: canned, stovetop, and ready-made.

Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes

1.) Mashed Cauliflower & Turnips (alt. to mashed potatoes)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-sized cauliflower chopped up
• 3 turnips chopped and peeled
• 1 tbsp grass-fed butter
• 1/2 cup coconut milk or another nut milk
• 7 chives chopped
• 2 tbsp organic sour cream
• pink salt and black pepper for taste

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil, add the chopped cauliflower and turnips, and cook for 20 min
2. Once tender, drain the pot and add the vegetables, nut milk,and  sour cream to a blender
3. Blend until it’s smooth and creamy. Garnish with chopped chives & add salt-pepper for
4. flavor

2.) Lemon Garlic Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

• 1 large brussel sprout bulb- cut each in half
• 2 lemons
• 3 garlic bulbs- chop up the cloves of each
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp pink salt and black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 and toss the chopped brussels sprouts and garlic in coconut oil
2. Use parchment paper over a large baking sheet and place the Brussels sprouts on top
3. Let it roast for 20-30 min. and stir and roast for another 15-20 minutes
4. Toss the Brussels sprouts with lemon juice, chili pepper, salt, and black pepper, and serve

3.) Healthy Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

• ½ cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
• 1 can (13.5 oz.) full-fat coconut milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl and puree with a hand mixer
2. Pour filling ingredients into the pie shell
3. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean
4. Cool on a rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate
5. Top with coconut whipped cream before serving

4.) Spinach, Pecan & Endive Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of organic spinach
• 3 heads Belgian endive, halved, cored, and sliced
• ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• ½ cup of pecans, chopped

Agave Nectar Vinaigrette

• 2 tbsp agave nectar syrup
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp organic cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch pink salt/black pepper

Instructions:

1. Toast pecans in a skillet over low heat, stirring often for 2 to 3 minutes, and let them cool
2. Toss spinach, Belgian endive, and pomegranates in a large bowl
3. Heat olive oil in a small skillet with low heat. Add apple cider vinegar and agave nectar syrup and let it boil
4. Pour dressing over salad, toss with pecans, and season with salt and pepper

5.) Holiday Spiced Nuts & Seeds

Ingredients:

• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon pink salt
• 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (mix of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ cup coconut palm sugar
• 4 cups raw unsalted nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, and cashews)
• 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees
2. Place egg white in a bowl and whip until frothy
3. Stir in sugar, salt, and spices & combine them with the nuts and seeds, coating them evenly
4. Use a large baking pan line it with parchment paper, and place nuts in one layer on top of it
5. Bake for 45 min to 1 hour and let the nuts cool down for a few minutes
6. Store the extra in an airtight container in the fridge

6.) Pecan Brookies

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 tsp. unsalted grass-fed butter
• 2 semisweet chocolate chunks (72% cacao)
• ¾ cup coconut palm sugar
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• ½ tsp all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. pink salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 & melt the chocolate, oil, and butter on the stovetop
2. Whisk together eggs, coconut sugar, and vanilla in another bowl until combined. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture
3. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine the flour mixture with the chocolate mixture, pecans, and the chocolate chunks
4. Freeze the mixture on a pie plate for 8 minutes until it hardens
5. Place the mixture on parchment paper in a deep baking pan. Bake 15 min
6. The tops should be dry and cracked, while the insides remain moist. Let it cool

Wrap-Up

How do those healthy Thanksgiving recipes sound?

These recipes and tips can help you really enjoy this holiday season, from preventing overindulging to eating healthily! Apart from eating healthily, you should also take care of your dental health! Check out this link for the Best dentist in Chandler.

This is some great advice we can all implement (who doesn’t need more healthy Thanksgiving recipes?) this year to be healthy, happy, and guilt-free!

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Tara Zamani

Tara is a currently a Certified Clinical Nutritionist for ContentChecked and assists with fact-checking information on packaged food labels that can often be misleading. Prior to her current role, Tara was a Holistic Health Coach for Evolution Inc. and spent four years as clinical nutritionist with numerous wellness centers. Her approach to wellness is to look at the body as whole including diet, blood analysis, digestion, exercise, stress, hormones, sleep and nutrient deficiencies. Her passion is to inspire others to create happy and healthy lives while reducing stress, increasing energy, promoting organic whole foods and utilizing natural remedies.

Tara received her Master of Science in Nutrition from The University of Bridgeport in Connecticut and is a Certified Nutrition Specialist (C.N.S) and a member of the The Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists (CBNS). She focuses on holistic nutrition.

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