As a dietitian, people often wonder what it's like at my house at Thanksgiving. They'll ask me: Do I drink? Not generally. Do I make desserts? Yes! Pumpkin pie and usually an apple crisp. Have I tried Tofurky? Yes... I cooked it one Thanksgiving when I was a part-time vegan, but I prefer turkey brined and grilled.
Like me, most nutrition pros serve traditional foods for Thanksgiving -- albeit with a healthier twist because we tweak recipes to eliminate empty calories. The good news is that many holiday favorites like turkey, sweet potatoes, squash, nuts and cranberries are inherently healthy, so it's fairly easy to keep them that way.
Here are six healthy holiday foods and how nutrition pros keep them that way.
Loading Slideshow
Apples
<strong>Health Benefits</strong> Apples are a great source of fiber, with about 4.5 grams per medium apple. They also provide vitamin C, potassium and folate. They're also a calorie bargain at 95 calories per medium-sized apple. Research has found that the colorful skins of apples are loaded with beneficial flavonoids, like quercitin, that <a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nutritionj.com%2Fcontent%2F3%2F1%2F5" target="_hplink">studies show</a> may help protect against certain cancers, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and weight gain. <strong>How to Serve</strong> There are many healthy ways to include apples in your holiday side dishes. Use apples in stuffing, wild rice, salads with hearty Autumn greens and blue cheese, and cranberry sauce. Nutrition pros tend to skip pie and make desserts that focus on the fruit instead of the saturated fat-rich crust. For example, apple crisps or crumbles, baked apples, or sauteed apples served over Greek yogurt are some of our favorites. <em>Photo credit: Whole Foods Market</em>
Brussels Sprouts
<strong>Health Benefits</strong> Brussels sprouts are nutrition pros' most recommended holiday veggies. They're low in calories -- just 60 calories per cup -- and are rich in fiber, potassium and B vitamins. Brussels sprouts resemble mini cabbages because they're from the same Brassica (cruciferous) vegetable family as cabbage and cauliflower. Cruciferous vegetables contain <a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpubmed%2F24114482" target="_hplink">sulforaphane, an anti-cancer</a> compound that helps protect your cells from DNA damage. <strong>How to Serve</strong> To help cut their bitterness, Brussels sprouts are best roasted or sauteed rather than steamed or boiled. Generally sauteed with bacon, you can also skip the bacon fat (or cut it down) and top sauteed Brussels sprouts with a salty cheese like Pecorino or Manchego. Jackie Newgent, RDN, a culinary nutritionist, goes even further and makes "bacon" bits using thinly sliced Bella mushrooms that are roasted with olive oil, salt and smoked paprika until crispy. <em>Photo Credit: mkosut@Flickr</em>
Butternut Squash
<strong>Health Benefits </strong> Pumpkin may be the "in" squash, but butternut squash packs the same nutritional punch as pumpkin and is more readily available and easier to prepare. Like pumpkin, the orangey hue of butternut squash is a sign that rich in beneficial carotenoids, like beta-carotene, which may provide anti-cancer benefits. It's also a good source of fiber, potassium, iron and B-vitamins and has just 80 calories per cup. <strong>How to Serve </strong> You can't go wrong with butternut squash soup... as long as the recipe is broth-based and not cream-based. Or, roast with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. Here's a holiday favorite: <a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.appforhealth.com%2F2013%2F11%2Froasted-butternut-squash-and-couscous-salad%2F" target="_hplink">Roasted Butternut Squash with Swiss Chard</a> and Israeli Couscous. <em>Photo credit: Vegetarianlost.com</em>
Cranberries
<strong>Health Benefits </strong> Not only are they good sources of vitamin C and fiber, cranberries are unique in that they contain "A-type" proanthocyanidins, compounds that not only make the fruit red bitter to taste, but also provide antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Research shows that cranberries provide <a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fid%2F15814415%2F" target="_blank">heart health</a> benefits and may help keep us <a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.health.com%2Fhealth%2Fgallery%2F0%2C%2C20307073_3%2C00.html" target="_blank">mentally</a> sharper as we age. (See additional references below.) <strong>How to Serve </strong> Fresh cranberry sauce or relish is easy to make, so there's no reason to rely on canned. As a general rule, use 1/4 less sugar than what's called for in the relish or sauce recipe and feel free to add in other healthy extra chopped apple (or unsweetened applesauce), lemon or orange zest, or chopped pecans or walnuts. Dried cranberries make a great addition to stuffing and mashed sweet potatoes. "I use dried cranberries to amp up the flavor and color of rice pilaf or wild rice," says Nashville-based nutritionist, Sarah-Jane Bedwell, RDN. <em>Photo credit: IStock</em> <strong>References</strong>: <a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpubmed%2F17492799" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17492799</a> <a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpubmed%2F15988692" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15988692</a> <a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpubmed%2F12058989" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12058989</a> <a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpubmed%2F15865497" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15865497</a> <a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpubmed%2F23598603" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23598603 </a>
Nuts
<strong>Health Benefits</strong> A big bowl of in-shell mixed nuts may be the healthiest appetizer you can serve. That's because nuts are rich in unsaturated fats, beneficial antioxidants and many hard-to-get vitamins and minerals, like zinc, copper and selenium. There is significant scientific agreement that nuts can help lower risk for heart disease, may reduce risk for Type 2 diabetes, aid with weight management and may help you live longer. (See references below.) Since nuts have 160-200 calories per ounce, you need to make room for them -- calorie-wise -- in your daily diet. <strong>How to Serve</strong> Pair nuts with sides for added crunch, suggests culinary nutritionist, Jackie Newgent, RDN. For example: Toss walnuts into leafy salad; create a topping for sweet potatoes with chopped pecans; sprinkle cranberry sauce with roasted pistachios; garnish green beans with toasted almond slices; and stir chopped hazelnuts info stuffing. <em>Photo credit: Steffenz@Flickr</em> <strong>References</strong>: <a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpubmed%2F22254047" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22254047</a> <a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpmc%2Farticles%2FPMC3257681%2F" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257681/</a> <a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpubmed%2F10479222" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10479222</a>
Pomegranates
<strong>Health Benefits</strong> Fresh pomegranates are much more than table decor. And if you're too intimidated to break the fruit apart to get to the arils, you can find fresh arils in supermarkets. A half-cup of arils has about 70 calories, more than 3 grams of fiber and has vitamin C, potassium and folate. They're also rich in antioxidant polyphenols like anthocyanins and ellagic acid, which <a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpubmed%2F23737845" target="_hplink">research</a> has documented have heart health, anti-cancer, anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory benefits. <strong>How to Serve</strong> Pomegranates partner well with a wide variety of foods, and provide a great color and flavor boost. Use fresh arils in your holiday salads, stuffing and cranberry sauce. They're also great for fruit-based desserts like this <a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dana-farber.org%2FHealth-Library%2FApple-and-Pomegranate-Crisp.aspx" target="_hplink">Apple and Pomegranate Crisp</a> recipe from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. <em>Photo credit: iStock</em>
Follow Julie Upton on Twitter: www.twitter.com/appetite4health
Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julie-upton/healthy-thanksgiving_b_4284761.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592
