One Thanksgiving meal can add up to the same amount of calories you normally eat in a day. That’s right: The average amount of calories in your heaping pile of turkey and all the fixings is 2,000 calories! That’s a lot of calories and fat. But you can bring down the calorie count by making a few tweaks. Take mashed potatoes: add creaminess with extra milk without even breaking out the sour cream. And stuffing? Use whole wheat instead of white bread and then cook the stuffing up in muffins to add a fun twist to a usually ho-hum casserole. Another easy way to cut down on calories is to increase the amount of vegetable dishes you include in your holiday spread. Honey-roasted vegetables, anyone?
Double Cranberry-Apple Sauce
Boost the fruit flavor in this classic Thanksgiving side by following a few tricks in this recipe for double cranberry-apple sauce in Southern Living. Along with fresh cranberries, add dried cranberries and diced green apples. Give this dish even more zip with lemons. Tangy and sweet – perfect for topping turkey.
Mashed Potatoes
Cut the butter and skip the sour cream altogether to make these lighter mashed potatoes from Better Homes and Gardens. Per serving, these potatoes are just 150 calories. The recipe also includes ways to play up the flavor like garlic, pesto, cheesy chipotle, sour cream and chives.
Green Bean Casserole
No need to buy canned fried onions to create this green bean casserole from Eating Well. Start by crisping the onions. Dunk sliced onions in flour, paprika, garlic powder and salt. Saute the onions in oil before using them to top the green beans.
Whole Wheat Stuffing “Muffins” with Sausage and Parmesan
Break the stuffing out of the casserole dish with this recipe for whole wheat stuffing “muffins” with sausage and Parmesan from KaylnsKitchen. Start by cubing the whole wheat bread into small pieces. Mix in reduced fat sausage, chopped onions and celery and then divide the mixture into a muffin dish. Your kids will love putting this together – and eating these savory muffins!
Honey-Roasted Vegetables
Add another vegetable side to your Thanksgiving table with this honey-roasted vegetable recipe from Martha Stewart. Chop up sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips and toss them with honey, olive oil and seasoning before roasting them in the oven.
Easy Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Tender and soft, these easy whole wheat dinner rolls from Whole Foods use a combination of flours. Both whole-wheat flour and all-purpose go into the mix along with yeast, milk, melted butter and egg. Once you’ve mixed the dough and allowed them to rise, divide the batter into 12 pieces and put them into a muffin tin.
