Healthy Thanksgiving

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kathryn Stilwell
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- --  To indulge or not to indulge? That is the question most people ask themselves over the holiday season, especially during Thanksgiving.

The holiday is often associated with feasting, but today's generation is more health conscious than ever before. With a few helpful tips, along with the realization that one meal won't ruin a carefully constructed diet and exercise plan, it's possible to survive a Thanksgiving meal.

Catherine Jennings, the Health and Wellness Center's community dietitian admitted that it's OK for people to indulge one day out of the year, granted they maintain their daily exercise routine. Contrary to popular belief, most people only gain about 1-pound over the holidays.

"It's not about what you do between Thanksgiving and New Year, but what you do between New Year's and next Thanksgiving," said Jennings. Nevertheless, there are strategies for the health conscious to survive Thanksgiving.

It is recommended to:

· Eat a small meal beforehand to keep from being overly hungry.
· Serve yourself rather than letting family or friends pile food on a plate.
· Use the smallest serving plates and bowls available.
· Minimize calories from beverages.
· Maintain a regular exercise routine.

John Walters, the HAWC's fitness program manager, was adamant about exercising beforehand. However, even he confessed to indulging on cranberries over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Get in a workout, whether it's aerobic or even anaerobic. Go for a walk or run, said Walters.

He suggested exercising in the morning, before eating.

"Once you start eating, you're usually not going to work out," said Walters.

To help transition into healthier dishes, Jennings provided a few recipes:

HEALTHY STUFFING

Servings: 16

1 tablespoon light butter
14 ounces stuffing bread
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup diced celery
½ cup diced carrots
½ cup diced mushroom
2 - 3 cloves of garlic
2 - 2 ½ cup chicken broth
Poultry seasoning to taste (usually around 1-2 teaspoons)
Pepper to taste (around 1 teaspoon)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large sauté pan. Once heated, add butter and spray with a cooking spray. Add carrots and sauté. Add celery, onion, garlic and mushroom. Add additional cooking spray if needed. Continue cooking until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and transfer to bowl. Allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, add bread, stuffing and vegetables. Toss together. Season with pepper and poultry seasoning. Add chicken broth, mixing until moist, but not soaking. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Spray casserole dish with cooking spray. Add stuffing mix and cover with foil. Bake 20--25 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 10 minutes or until slightly crispy on top.

Serves around ½ cup each serving.

Nutritional information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 107 calories from fat; 2 g fat; 20 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 5 mg sodium; 4 g fiber.

VEGETARIAN SWEET POTATO PIE

Servings: 8

1-½ cup soymilk
Egg substitute equal to 2 eggs
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups mashed cooked sweet potato (or pumpkin or winter squash)
½ cup of flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch deep dish pie pan with cooking spray. A deep dish is recommended because this pie will raise a lot during cooking, but it will shrink back as it cools. Put the first 4 ingredients in the blender and blend well. Add the sweet potatoes and puree. Add the remaining ingredients and blend on high, stopping to scrape the side a few times to make sure everything is thoroughly blended. Pour into the pie pan. Bake for about 60 minutes. A standard toothpick or knife test does not work on this pie. Look for the center to be moist, but cooked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Nutritional information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 160 calories from fat; 2 g fat; 32 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein.

HEART HEALTHY GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Servings: 6

1 can (10-¾ ounces) reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
½ cup fat-free milk
¼ cup fat-free sour cream
1-¼ pounds green beans, but into 1-½ inch pieces, cooked until crisp-tender.
½ cup canned French-fried onions

Mix soup, sour cream and milk in 2-quart casserole; stir in beans. Bake, uncovered, at 350-degrees until mixture is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle onions on top during the last 5 minutes of baking time.

Nutritional information per serving (values rounded to the nearest whole number): 81 calories from fat; 3 g fat; 12 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 172 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol.