Thanksgiving is just a week away, and to many people, that means over-indulging and consequently feeling stuffed, lethargic and tired. Luckily, not all traditions need to be repeated, so I’m answering the top three questions that will help you stay away from the famous food-induced coma.
1. How do you prevent over-eating at Thanksgiving Dinner?
I often see people over-indulging at Thanksgiving because they deprive themselves in the days leading up to the holidays. To avoid overeating in one big meal, allow yourself small treats throughout the week. For example, try a guiltless dessert such as my good-for-you pumpkin pie mousse (video recipe link below). When you indulge a little bit during the week, you may be less likely to over-indulge in a traditional pumpkin pie after the big dinner.
2. What do I do if I am going to someone’s house, and they don’t serve anything healthy?
Buy or make your favorite healthy dish and bring lots of it to the gathering to share with the family. If they push their food on you, you will now have the arsenal to do the same, and as a bonus, you will introduce your family to a healthy dish that you discovered. For example, check out fabulous Thanksgiving pies from JugoFresh (holidaypies@jugofresh.com) at Boca’s Whole Foods Market. They are absolutely delicious, and they’re good for you. Definitely something to be thankful for!
3. How can I avoid overeating after Thanksgiving when I have all of those fabulous leftovers?
I believe that Thanksgiving is about two main things—gratitude and giving. I believe in expressing gratitude for what we already have and in sharing our abundance with others. Why not pack your leftovers and take them to the nearest homeless shelter or share them with someone you know is in need? I once gave out all of my holiday leftovers to a group of people sleeping next to a church, and it felt better to give out that food than to receive holiday gifts! They were so grateful that they weren’t forgotten.
Easy recipes:
This year, try my recipes for savory veggies and pumpkin mousse!
Stuffed Portobello mushrooms
- 10 Portobello mushroom caps
- 2 cups walnuts, soaked for 12 hours and drained
- ½ cup Brazilian nuts
- ½ almonds, soaked for 12 hours and drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- Red pepper for garnish
Remove stems from mushrooms, and marinate in 5 teaspoons of sea salt and ½ cup of lemon juice for two hours (or overnight). You can also add some olive oil if you’d like, but that’s not necessary. (I like it for the taste.)
Place garlic in food processor or blender, and chop well. Add nuts, salt, thyme, sage and rosemary, processing well to make a nut pate.
Drain mushrooms, and place them cap-side down on paper towels. Place filling inside mushrooms. Garnish with fresh herbs and red pepper, and serve.
Happy Thanksgiving!
