Enjoy a Healthy Thanksgiving Meal

Do you spend Thanksgiving trying to encourage people around you to remember all of the things they can feel thankful for? If so, you may consider good health as one of your...

 most precious assets. Why not use a celebration of thankfulness to also help celebrate good health with a healthy Thanksgiving Meal?

Use Thanksgiving to Celebrate Good Health

Most of us associate Thanksgiving with a feast, and a healthy meal doesn't need to be a skimpy one. These suggested recipes for your guilt-free feast are also simple and affordable, so you can also be grateful for the time and money you saved.   

Turkey is often the dish most people expect at their Thanksgiving feast. Honestly, lots of families don't have room to store an entire bird or care to dine on turkey leftovers for the next week. Even though turkey is a comparatively low-fat meat, the natural tendency to overeat at a feast means that diners may consume more saturated fat and less fiber than they should.

Also, while people may instinctively look forward to turkey at Thanksgiving, few ever say  roasted turkey is their favorite food. Of course, roasting a large bird means that somebody has to stay near the kitchen for hours. Who's got time for that?

Do you know what turkey dish is quick, healthy, and loved by all? Of course, it's turkey fajitas!

Turkey Fajitas - 8 Servings 

Get a greased skillet hot, and then fry the turkey breast slices for about five minutes. Add a little more oil and then add slices of onion, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers.

Some folks also enjoy adding other vegetables, like carrots and spinach. Add seasonings to taste. Cook for another five to ten minutes until the meat is done and the vegetables have softened up. Serve these Thanksgiving turkey fajitas with warm, whole-wheat tortillas wraps. Offer an assortment of colorful toppings like salsa, guacamole, beans, rice, lettuce, and tomatoes. Since it's Thanksgiving, add cranberry sauce as another topping. Even if your guests were expecting a roast turkey, they're not going to complain.

Drunk Sweet Potato Custard Pie - Serves 8.  Thanksgiving sweet potatoes don't have to come covered with gooey marshmallows to taste as good as dessert. These naturally nutritious vegetables can showcase their natural sweetness in a sweet, rich and healthy casserole recipe.

Simply mash the sweet potatoes together with one tablespoon of brown sugar, the two eggs, rum or rum flavoring, and one-quarter cup of melted butter or margarine. Add that to the casserole dish. Then make the topping by mixing the rest of the brown sugar, melted butter or margarine, and the nuts. Spread the topping on top in an even layer. Bake at 350 for forty-five minutes. This dish is suitable for a side dish, but it's got the crusty feel and sweetness of a dessert.

Bountiful Spinach Salad - Serves 8. Round everything off with a colorful spinach salad that won't make it seem like you're asking your Thanksgiving guests to eat spinach. Honestly, spinach salad is a dish best served sweet! Start with the leaves from a head of spinach. Add dried cranberries and nuts as a nod to the holiday. Other ingredients that complement spinach perfectly include orange slices, grapes, berries, tomatoes, and mild onions.

You can make a healthy dressing with a dash of vinegar, olive oil, black pepper, and lemon juice. A squeeze of fruit juice and a couple of dashes of cayenne pepper add zest.

Go ahead and toss the salad with the dressing in advance, so the flavor has a chance to set. This combination of sweet, spicy, and sour will change your opinion about how delicious a spinach salad can taste.

No-Bake Pumpkin Pie With Chocolate.  Some guests will be happy to waive the roast turkey, but they may not forgive the lack of pumpkin pie. This pumpkin recipe won't require you to pre-heat the oven or let out your belt. It's a little bit richer than the other suggestions, but after all, this is Thanksgiving.  The pumpkin contains lots of great nutrients, including fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. You can also find low- or even no-sugar chocolate chips to reduce the calories.

Simply melt the chocolate on the stove or in the microwave. Once it's soft an creamy, take it off the stove and mix with the other ingredients. You can pour the mixture into a pie crust or make an easy no-crust version by simply pouring servings into cupcake or muffin papers. Let your creation harden in the fridge for a couple of hours.

For a dramatic flair, you could melt a little extra chocolate to drizzle over the top before you serve it. Whipped toppings and a handful of berries also look and taste great on the plate.

You Can Always Turn Dinner into a Healthy Feast

Hopefully, these recipe suggestions inspired you to think about Thanksgiving dinner in a somewhat different way. You can still delight guests with their favorites, while you surprise them with some new, healthy twists that may turn out to be easier to prepare and more convenient and affordable than traditional choices. You don't have to reserve these recipes for Thanksgiving, and you don't even need to tell your guests that the dishes are healthier alternatives.