Tips to Save your Waistline this Thanksgiving

We are a few days out from Thanksgiving and I want to continue to give you some alternate recipes swaps for your Thanksgiving meal, yet still enjoy the smells and memories of the years past!

Do you remember your Thanksgiving last year?  How did you feel when the meal was over?  I know I wasn't following any "clean eating rules" last Thanksgiving and I was stuffed like a turkey!  I felt yucky, sluggish, and wished I had more control.  Then of course the next day I just felt disgusting and bloated and puffy…Well…This year, I am committing to NOT have those same feelings.  I'm still going to enjoy my Thanksgiving, but I'm making some changes along the way for success.  These new changes will still bring all the same "memories" of Thanksgiving that I love, just without the expanding waistline!

This week is our Holiday Survival Guide…and we're going for more recipes today!!  How can you change and tweak the foods you love at Thanksgiving to bring you success and protect your waistline?

I've already shared a couple Thanksgiving recipes HERE!  And this has always been my absolute FAVORITE Thanksgiving recipe, Sweet Potato Casserole!!


First thing…the Turkey!  Now, let's face it…who's favorite part of Thanksgiving is the turkey?  Especially when you have to carve it and get all the meat off.  Fortunately, I don't have to make the turkey this year, but, I am definitely going to save this recipe to make at another time.  We're talking about a turkey breast and not the whole bird!

Clean Eating Roasted Turkey Breast

recipe from: Whole Foods New Body

Ingredients: 

• 5-6 lb. turkey breast (thawed in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours)
• 1 1/2 tbsp. garlic (chopped)
• 2 tbsp. Herbs de Provence
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice ( fresh squeezed or organic)
• 14.5 oz. chicken broth (organic or msg free/low sodium)

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix garlic, herbs, oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice in small bowl.  Place turkey on a roasting pan skin side up. Make a pocket underneath the skin and rub half of the herb mixture under the skin of the turkey. Use the other half of the mixture to rub all over the top of the skin.  Pour chicken broth in the bottom of the roasting pan.

Bake for 1 3/4 to 2 hours or until thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees. Cover with aluminum foil for 15-20 minutes. Slice and serve with the pan juices. 

Now, for the sides…everyone loves their mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving…but, do we really need the extra starches??  Not really.  One way to switch this out is to make mashed cauliflower, no, it's not mashed potatoes, but it is really good and has a similar taste to it!  Try it out!

Clean Eating Mashed "Potatoes" (cauliflower) 

Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small florets (about 6 to 7 cups)
• 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Steam cauliflower until very tender.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid then place cauliflower into a food processor or blender (or you can mash by hand with a potato masher).  Add oil and reserved water, 1 tablespoon at a time and puree until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.  

Optional Add Ins:  Garlic, chives, rosemary, parmesan cheese.

Roasted Acorn Squash with Maple Glaze

Roasted Acorn Squash with Maple Glaze

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 1 acorn squash, seeded and sliced
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup (or less) maple syrup, warmed
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place squash sliced onto a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper and gently toss together.
3. Roast squash for 35 to 40 minutes occasionally tossing around, gently, to avoid sticking.
4. 7 to 10 minutes before roasting is completely, brush a small amount of maple syrup over each piece of squash and finish roasting.

ENJOY!!

And…last but not least…Pumpkin Pie.  Here's your clean eating version thanks to The Gracious Pantry!  Now, this is a clean eating recipe…but, don't go and gorge yourself on this because eating it's not a "diet" pie…you still have to have it in moderation and proper "cheat" portions sizes. 

Clean Eating Pumpkin Pie

Clean Eating Pumpkin Pie

(Makes 2 traditional sized pies)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups prepared pumpkin
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 egg whites
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk (you can also substitute unsweetened soy, almond or rice milk)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and mix thoroughly.
2. Pour mixture into pie crusts (check out this recipe)
3. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake for 45 additional minutes.

Note:  This pie is not very sweet.  If you prefer a sweeter pie, add an additional 1/4 cup of honey.

So there you have it…you are now armed with some great clean eating recipes to go into your Thanksgiving dinner!  If you are going somewhere, then offer to bring one of these for dinner!  It's up to you to clean up your Thanksgiving!  

Don't forget…if you need some extra help after Thanksgiving to get back on track,  join my 30-Day Clean Eating and Shakeology Challenge!  Get your body back in time for that  New Years little black dress!  Fill out the application below!

Holiday Support System