Thanksgiving = Frustration?

Thanksgiving is a holiday in which we express gratitude for family, friends and the blessings in our lives. We celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday and for a person who is on their journey to wellness, it can be a day of frustration. Why is it a day of frustration? Well, we have all be conditioned to understand that Thanksgiving is turkey, stuffing, and lots of desserts; basically a free pass to eat everything and anything that is put in front of us. All of the food can be overwhelming whether we are eating at a friend’s house, at a restaurant, or cooking our own meal at home. How do we take the food frustration out of Thanksgiving and keep the true meaning which is thankfulness and gratitude?

As far as eating goes, keep it simple! Here a few suggestions that can help you get through the day:

• Start dinner off with a cup of soup. Soup will make you feel full.
• Choose a large veggie-filled salad topped off with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.  
• Steamed veggie sides are the safest choice. But be sure to stay away from any veggies mixed with cheese or cream!
• Main entree should be a serving size of 4-6 oz (the size of a fist). Turkey or chicken is the best choice. Stay away from anything that walks on 4 legs.
• Stuffing: whole grain stuffing is delicious, see my recipe below.
• Dessert: Fruit is a nice refreshing way to end a meal. Skip the pies and fancy desserts and choose fresh fruit instead.

We can all enjoy Thanksgiving by taking the emphasis off of food and placing it where it belongs: being thankful for the blessings all of us have!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Whole Grain Stuffing

Ingredients

2 large loaves of whole grain bread, cut into cubes

1 cup finely chopped celery and red onion

4 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsely

2 tbsp fresh rosemary

2 finely diced garlic cloves

1 box vegetable/chicken broth

1/2 cup fat-free parmesan cheese

1 cup chopped apple (optional)

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions

Put the bread cubes in a very large bowl and set aside. Saute the celery, onion and garlic until wilted then add to the bread cubes along with parsley, rosemary and parmesan cheese and mix well. Add enough vegetable broth to the mixture so the stuffing is soft and moist not dry. Mix in apple and raisins if you want a fruitier stuffing.

Stuff the turkey with the stuffing or place in a olive oil greased pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Weekly Menu

Sunday and Wednesday: whole grain pizza with veggies

Tuesday and Friday: chicken polenta

Thursday: Turkey Day!

Monday and Saturday: bean enchiladas

Please follow me on Twitter/Riare43a or email me at Riare43a@aol.com.