How to Choose Low Calorie Thanksgiving Dishes
When Thanksgiving arrives, many people throw caution to the wind and indulge in high-calorie dishes. It doesn't have to be this way. You don't have to serve mashed potatoes made with cream and butter, three kinds of pie, and overly sweet cranberry sauce. With just a few easy steps, you'll be able to choose low-calorie Thanksgiving dishes that your whole family will love. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Recreate traditional Thanksgiving recipes. Any recipe can be made lower in calories. This is even true when it comes to Thanksgiving dishes. The key is to choose flavorful substitutes. For example, you can use fat-free buttermilk in your mashed potatoes. The buttermilk adds great flavor, while still being low-calorie.
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Steam the vegetables. Steamed vegetables are not only low-calorie, but they also retain more of their nutrients. Remember that Thanksgiving dishes don't have to be canned or covered in a creamy sauce. Steamed vegetables with garlic-infused olive oil would make a perfect side dish.
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Make homemade cranberry sauce. Canned cranberry sauce is usually loaded with sugar and calories. This doesn't mean you have to omit this Thanksgiving side dish in order to serve a low-calorie meal. Instead, you should choose homemade cranberry sauce over the canned version. When you make homemade dishes, you're able to use a sugar substitute, which is free of calories.
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Replace white rolls with a whole-wheat rolls. Rolls are an important Thanksgiving dish, but that doesn't mean they have to be unhealthy. Whole-wheat rolls not only contain more fiber, but are lower in calories as well.
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Cook a turkey breast rather than a whole turkey. Many people are under the misconception that every part of the turkey is low-calorie, but this isn't true. Dark meat actually contains quite a bit of calories. Stick with the breast for a lower-calorie option for this most important Thanksgiving dish.
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Tips & Warnings
Chicken stock can also be used to make low-calorie Thanksgiving dishes.
You can now purchase bags that allow you to steam side dishes in the microwave, which frees up space on the stove top.
Thanksgiving desserts can also be made low-calorie by using sugar substitutes and fat-free whipped toppings.
Don't eat the skin. The skin must be removed for turkey breast to be as low-calorie as possible.
