Healthy Guidelines for a Tasty Thanksgiving Feast
Being a grocer who planned Thanksgiving displays and a heart patient who survived healthy nutrition lectures I know some tasty yet clean-living meal tricks. Most of the foods that are popular for the traditional Thanksgiving meal are actually super foods that are good for you. The culprit that changes these foods from super to harmful are added ingredients. If you follow the guidelines given here a scrumptious Thanksgiving can be enjoyed that will keep the doctor away.
What Is Good For You
Look at a list of 100 foods that have been determined to be healthy super foods. Also consider what foods are on most every American family’s Thanksgiving table each November. The good list includes turkey, sweet potatoes, pecans, cinnamon, cranberries, green beans, pumpkin, and red wine. In addition to these eight items given, more can be selected from the 100 super foods list by most families.
What is Bad For You
One nutritionist at my heart lecture class said paying attention to food labels is most important. Every product that you add to a healthy food can change the health benefit. Mushroom soup and fried onions in the green bean casserole can add high fat content. Sweet condensed milk in the pumpkin pie can increase calories. Look for the reduced fat options of these products on the labels.
Deli specialty cranberry sauce, canned vegetables, or frozen pies can have a big difference in fats, sodium, sugars, or calories listed on the labels. Study food labels and soon you can avoid the unhealthy choices.
Pick The Good Stuff
Nutrition folks told me not to deny yourself what you really like. Just be sure to eat a small portion in moderation. Also choose the more healthy alternatives. Turkey breast is low fat, while skin on the turkey leg is loaded with fat. Dressing plus gravy can be made with less salt and fat. Pumpkin pie with reduced fat whipped cream has fewer calories than pecan pie.
Grocery stores entice you to spend with little regard to the healthiest choice. Take command of your shopping list with healthy decisions. Serve those super foods with carefully chosen ingredients. Ignore unhealthy displays.
If you have a Thanksgiving feast of juicy turkey breast, carefully chosen recipes of sweet potatoes, green beans, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and sensible deserts there will be no complaints at your table. Add your special dish with a little love for a real treat.
