A Healthier Thanksgiving

In the airport I noticed a blurb in a magazine stating that the average American eats 4000-something calories over Thanksgiving. This is much more than my daily caloric requirements. I began to recall the Thanksgivings where I felt overstuffed. Disturbed and inspired, I decided to add some healthier options to the table this Thanksgiving.

For appetizers, I cut cucumber rounds, topped them with tomato basil hummus, and sprinkled dill and capers on top. I also sliced peppers and celery and stuffed them with a mixture of blue cheese and fat-free greek yogurt, drizzling balsamic vinegar and crushed pepper on top. Finally, I boiled some asparagus and wrapped prosciutto around the stalks.

For side dishes, I made a wild rice and celery salad, cutting the amount of oil in the recipe in half. For a little more green, I boiled a bunch of chopped broccoli in chicken broth. I also made a spinach salad, using dressing sparingly.

For dessert, I washed some fresh strawberries to have with pie.

Overall, I enjoyed the usual Thanksgiving trimmings--turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. Adding some healthier options certainly helped me to avoid that gross overstuffed feeling.

My next task? Planning some seasonal items to serve at dinner with friends tomorrow night. I'm also starting to think of the healthy dishes I could make at Christmas...