Are you dreading the Thanksgiving Day spread? If you’re hosting a get-together, you want to make delicious dishes that your guests are going to love. However, many traditional Thanksgiving meals aren’t necessarily the healthiest and are loaded with fat, sodium and sugar. Here’s a few repeat Thanksgiving offenders that our Registered Dietitian, Ms. Julia Lott, has updated to offer a healthier version that everybody will enjoy.
Cranberry Sauce – Cranberry sauce can be very high in sugar. Many times recipes can call for a whole cup of sugar, which is a whopping 200 grams!
Original Recipe
- 1 (12 oz) bag fresh cranberries
- 1 cup of orange juice
- 1 cup white sugar
- Cal: 95 kcal | Sugar: 2
- 11 servings per recipe
Healthy Makeover
- 1 (12 oz) bag fresh cranberries
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 2/3 cup of water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Cal: 40 Kcal | Sugar: 8g
- 11 servings per recipe
Sweet Potato Casserole – Traditional sweet potato casserole is high in fat and sugar. Take out the butter and marshmallows and will still taste amazing!
Original Casserole Recipe
- 3 ½ pounds sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
Topping
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2½ cup mini marshmallows
- Total Cal: 558 Kcal | Fat: 19g | Sugar 50g
- 8 servings per recipe
Healthy Casserole Makeover
- 3 ½ pounds sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
Topping
- 1 tbsp packed dark brown
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- Total Cal: 160 Kcal | Fat: 4g | 18g
- 8 servings per recipe
Green Bean Casserole – A green bean casserole is typically high in sodium. Make the switch to reduced cream soup and home made crispy onion topping and the sodium is significantly lower.
Original Casserole Recipe
- 1 can of condensed cream mushroom soup
- ¾ cup milk
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 cups cooked green beans
- 1 ½ cup of crispy fried onions
- Cal: 161 Kcal | Sodium 456mg
- 6 servings per recipe
Healthy Casserole Makeover
- 1 can of condensed cream mushroom soup (Reduced Sodium)
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 cups cooked green beans
- 1 medium onion cut into strips
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- Cal: 97 Kcal | Sodium: 27 mg
- 6 servings per recipe
A simple strategy for reducing the fat, sodium and sugar in your Thanksgiving meals is to use low sodium items, substitute or reduce butter and sugar, and to use non-calorie flavor enhancements such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. By making some minor changes to your menu items, you will feel good about what your eating and your guests will thank you for thinking about their health and happiness as well.