Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for all that life has to offer like family, friends, and of course, food.
Thanksgiving is a holiday that is best known for giving thanks, but sometimes it can mean giving inches to your waistline. If you’re on a diet and worried about how to stick it out, here are some easy cooking tips that are healthy without sacrificing taste.
Tip #1: Oils
As most of us already know, there are good oils and bad oils. The good oils have a healthy fat content that the body needs while bad oils can raise the fat content and overall calories in a dish. A good thing to keep in mind is the more natural an oil is, the more likely it is to be friendlier on your waistline. Instead of using butters or canola oil, try using healthier substitutes like almond butter or coconut oil.
Tip #2: Meats
Anything that is roasted or grilled is generally a healthier cooking option as compared to frying. With that in mind, whenever you have a chance to grill or roast anything especially meat, you should since it reduces the fat content and also gives food a more robust, distinctive flavor. You can also try replacing some of the higher fatty meats like bacon or ham for leaner meats like turkey or chicken.
Tip #3: Starches
Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without an artery busting amount of starches. From mashed potatoes to stuffing, it’s no secret that they complete a course. Although starches aren’t the healthiest, there are ways to do less damage.
A simple replacement is oven roasted sweet potatoes in place of boxed mashed potatoes. Sweet potatoes are not only delicious but high in potassium, calcium, and vitamins A and C.
Tip #4: Desserts
You can reduce or cut out the amount of oil in desserts by using natural applesauce in place of cooking oil or butter. By using this healthier alternative, you’re essentially lowering the calorie and fat intake of your dessert. Applesauce is great to use because it doesn’t change or mess up the texture, taste, or look of what you’re baking.
Always remember that healthier doesn’t mean that food won’t have any flavor. Healthy food can be good and fulfilling.
