Fit Feast

5 ideas for a healthy Thanksgiving

 

HYDRATE

On holidays it is easy to over-indulge in cocktails. Put a glass pitcher with electrolyte water and lemon and/or mint in the water on your bar. Make it easy for guests to stay hydrated.

SWEET TREATS

Go with a low-fat/low-sugar fruit crisp instead of an apple pie this year. With piping hot fresh fruit and a gluten-free topping, your guests won’t miss a thing. An easy tip: Mix gluten-free granola with your topping. Garnish with almond milk vanilla ice cream.

GOODBYE GLUTEN

Do a gluten-free stuffing. With gluten-free breads so readily available these days (FYI, Ralphs now carries Udi’s), you can easily swap out prepared breadcrumbs and make your own with gluten-free version. Just leave the bread out the night before to create the “stale” effect. Mix in some immune-boosting fruits like dried cherries, figs, dates or apricots.

GO NUTS

Put out a variety of unroasted, raw nuts in pretty bowls. Nuts like almonds, brazil and hazelnuts are vitamin and antioxidant packed and delicious.

APPS

Consider easy-to-prepare, nutritious appetizers like the eggplant-based baba ghanoush, guacamole made with frozen peas and avocado (peas add sweetness and cut down on the fat), and hollowed out cucumber cups filled with plain Greek yogurt and scallions. With these nibbles, you can avoid fattening creamy dips and fried foods.